A Story, for sure. But, one with a moral. And, one that will, I hope, make you stop and think. All I want from you is a little of your time.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.
There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," his mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," Jack said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral."
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his mom asked.
"The box is gone," he said
"What box?" his mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time"
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant, asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.
"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."
Think about this. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.
1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if he or she doesn't like you.
4. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before he or she goes to sleep.
5. You mean the world to someone.
6. If not for you, someone may not be living.
7. You are special and unique.
8. . When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
9. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
10. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
12. Always tell someone how you feel about him or her; you will feel much better when he or she knows and you'll both be happy .
13. If you have a great friend, take the time to let him or her know that he or she is great.

Some Great Ideas. And, I stole them, just for you.

Comes a time when I say, "darn, I wish I had thought of that". Well, this is one of those times. You really need to check out the cool ideas at this web site.
http://www.thedailybuzz.com.au/2011/11/25-clever-ideas_household-tips_storage-ideas/

There are so many ideas here that I will be putting to use. And, no doubt, you'll find a few that you can use, as well. Best thing is that the ideas cost either nothing or they're pretty inexpensive. I mean, how much can a straw cost? Free, if you just keep one on your next trip to a fast food place. They make a perfect tool to hull a strawberry.

Got stuffed bears and dogs and cats all over the floor? Want a cheap and neat way to both store and display them?

How about all those rolls of wrapping paper cluttering the closet? Yep, there's a cheap solution for that, too.

Take a looksee...I think you'll say "why didn't I think of that".

What I'm Up To, complete with Flotilla Pictures

I'm gonna post a few Christmas Flotilla Pictures at the end of this blog. Check ém out, if you want.

And, yep. I said it. Again. Christmas. It is Christmas, and it's a holiday. But, I will not let that word holiday replace Christmas.

Been having a blast, of late. Got a gig doing a talk radio show on Thunder Country 96.3. It's a station with a powerful signal covering much of eastern North Carolina. 100-THOUSAND watts of power, it is. The station plays country during much of the day. Hence Thunder Country. But, for the past month, I've been running my mouth a lot from 7-9 am weekdays. I talk about conservative values, conservative attitudes, and conservative messages. Guess that means I'm a conservative.

Maybe. At the same time, I don't want anyone infringing on my rights. I want the right to speak my mind, and I believe my personl being is mine to do with pretty much as I see fit. And, so is yours.

Up to a point.

Ya see, your rights...and mine...don't mean that I, or you, have a right to dictate what others think or do.

Up to a point.

Ok, to boil it down to the basics of the way it should be in this country (according to me): I have a right to do anything I want as long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights of anyone else. Sorta simple, I think.

Of course, I know and apprecite that we live in a land where there are laws. Laws that are written and enforced to safeguard the rights of most everybody. If we didn't have those laws, we would have something known as chaos. Some aruge that's what we have now. Hopefully, with a change of administration at both the state and national levels next year, we'll end up with controlled chaos instead of the mess we currently have.

Back to he radio gig. It's fun, and I enjoy the calls we get from listeners; and, I really appreciate the guests we have live in the studio. From Congressman Walter Jones to the sheriff of Onslow County, to the Jacksonville (NC) police chief to the editor of the Jacksonville Daily News....we reach out to a lot of folks.

I say we. The talk show is called Live and Local with Raeford and Friends. I have a couple regular friends...Bill Hitchcock, a former televison producer, and Jan Bean Slagle, another former news broadcaster and former Jacksonville mayor. Together, we have a good time, and we cover a lot of issues. Topics are varied, ranging from politics (what a great year to start this show!!!!) to unemployment to fishing to...well, pick a topic, and we'll discuss it. And, if you want to be part of that discusssion, give us a call. Weekdays, 7-9 am, 866-963-1037.

Ok, to the Flotilla. Sponsored by the Jacksonville Breakfast Rotary Club. Got some pretty cool pictures of a few of the brightly decorated boats. Didn't get any of mine because we were IN the parade of boats. Thought you might enjoy.

The above picture is of our boat, Pirate Attack. Naturally, I didn't take the shot. I was a little busy at the time. Besides, some law of physics states that I can't be in two places at the same time. The photo is courtesy of Ralph Leeds, another boating enthusiast, and an obviously good photographer. He admitted it was a tough shot. Ya see, the lights are actually blinking. Rapidly, and in time with the music blaring from my speakers on top of the boat. It must have been hard to get a shot when about 60% of the light were on at the same time. My thanks to you, Ralph, for the picture.

An Artist has some POWERFUL words in his messge.

I just watched a video production that I want to share with you.
It contains a powerful message.
A message from an artist.
A message from the common man.
You see, the artist has produced a painting with likenesses of all of our presidents, from Washington to Obama.
I won't spoil it for you, but I think you will likely be as moved as I am.
Moved, and frightened.
My eyes were not opened any wider, but you must understand that I am a realist. You might say I'm a visionary.
You can definitely say that I am a firm believer in our Constitution. You know, that all-so-important document that guarantees every U.S. citizen rights. You'll note that nothing guarantees illegal aliens any of those rights.
Any person at any level who treads on our Constitution is my enemy. Period. Regardless of race, creed, national origin, political persusion, whether male or female, whether homeless or the president of these United States.
Ok, I feel better.
And, a little plug now. If you want to speak your mind, I've taken on a new assignment. I'm hosting a conservative (imagine that) radio talk show Monday thru Friday, 7-9 am. For those in eastern North Carolina, you can tune in to 96.3 FM. It's powerful station, 100-thousand watts powerful, and covers a lot of turf. And, if you're of a mind, I welcome phone calls. 866-963-1037. You'll generally reach our producer, but he'll put you through as quickly as possible.

King Arthur and the Witch

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question?...What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer.

But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life.

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

What would YOU do?

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

Now....what is the moral to this story?

The moral is.....

If you don't let a woman have her own way....

Things are going to get ugly

What's with this thing of being Handicapped?

Yeah, we see them all the time. Handicap Placards for their cards, parking in spaces designated for folks with those stickers. Yes, I know there are some who take advantage of those stickers. Like the idiot at Kure Beach who always parked in a handicap space, proudly displaying his sticker. But, I learned that he really wasn't handicapped, at all. I learned that he had the sticker because his wife was handicapped. Only thing is that I never once saw his wife with him. In fact, I never, ever saw her at all. But, there he was, taking up a handicap space, meant for someone who actually needed to park there.
Another one of those jerks we encounter as we make our way through life.

And, speaking of handicapped. We have all read and watched stories about soldiers and others who have overcome their handicaps, and moved on. With the help of modern science and technology, they live as normal a life as can be expected. Men, and women, with one leg playing basketball, running marathons and the like. It takes more than just marvelous mechanical devices to make that work. It takes a desire and willpower on their part. And, my hat's off to them all.

Now, I get this piece of video. A cool performance by a young Chinese lass. Tickling the ivories, she is, as well as anyone I've ever heard. I was confused, at first, when I was told she was handicapped. Maybe in our minds, she has a handicap. But, listening to her play the piano, I cannot find, for the life of me, anything handicapped about her. Ok, so she has no fingers on one hand. But, that hasn't slowed her down one bit.

Take a listen:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/chinese-girl-no-fingers-one-hand-wows-piano-20110316-133233-487.html

Wow! It's Been a Month! And, I Met a Retail Jerk.

(Note the info below about the retail jerk...I've added more)

It's been a busy month. Personally speaking. And, you could care less. Don't blame you one bit, so I won't bore you with the details.

I WILL tell you about a new gig I've got. Starting 1 November, I will be hosting a daily talk-radio show. How cool is that?!? Yep, Monday-Friday, 7-9 am, I'll be joined by a varaiety of friends (I didn't even know I had any, but I'm told that some will show up...a regular is going to be former Jacksonville Mayor Jan Slagle, another will be Bill Hitchcock, known for his fishing show productions, radio appearances, and real estate expertise) and, likely, some less than friendly folks from time to time. The show is on 96.3, a station known as Thunder Country in eastern North Carolina. It's a powerful hunk of energy. 100-THOUSAND watts radiating all over the area. Not sure how far north it goes, but I can hear it pretty well in Wilmington.

Our Talk Studio will be mostly in Jacksonville (NC), though we're likely to move around from time to time. Got somethign to say? Tune in, I'll give you a number, and you can vent to your heart's content. Well, until I think you've crossed the line. Conservative in nature, of course, but I'll listen to anyone.

Anyone, EXCEPT a real jerk I met while shopping the other day. (How's that for a transition?). I was visiting with a friend at the Jacksonville (NC) Daily News, and stopped by one of those second hand, bargain-type shops. Sort of like a pawn shop, except they don't loan money on stuff then sell it if you can't pay back the "loan". I've bought a lot of things at such shops. The bargain ones as well as the pawn shops. I genuinely like shopping there, and can often find some pretty good bargains.

Unlike traditional retail stores, you can usually horse-trade with these folks. Sort of like a yard sale or flea market. They have an asking price, and your offers are usually welcome. Usually.

Not this time. I saw a laptop computer, and was giving it more than just a casual look-see. The young lady clerk asked if I wanted to see it powered up. The puter had some good specs. A better than average hard drive, and sufficient memory. Only thing, she said, was that the charger was intermittent. A scary word, intermittent. Means it sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Not a nice word, by any means. She hooked it up, and I put the power to it. Had to wiggle the connector coming from the charger to get it working. The charger was fine, but it was obvious the problem was either the connector on the charger...an easy fix...or the connector on the computer...a bit more tedious.

The computer did everything I wanted. Speedy. That's when the chunky guy came over, obviously a manager, owner, or owner's son. Asked if he could help me. I offered him $50 less than the marked price. You would have thought that I had called him dirty names. He said he had already marked it down because the charger was bad. A real pompous guy, for sure.

I closed the computer, figuring I was not going to get anywhere with this guy; he wanted to know if it did what I wanted it to do. Yep, it did. I noted, though, that I would likely change the operating system to XP Pro. Just a personal preference. And, that's when it began. Mr. Obnoxious Know-It-All said I would be going backwards, that the system already loaded was far superior. And, he added that I shouldn't have asked to look at the comptuer if I didn't want to buy it. And, he didn't stop there. He followed me towards the door, proclaiming that his gold Rolex watch was better than my cheap stainless steel Rolex. He even compared prices on the two watches! How rude.

As I was exiting, he followed, and said that even my Tundra pickup...you know, the one that can pull more than 10,000 pounds...was not as good as his Cadillac Escalade.

If only I could buy Mr. Obnoxious for what he's actually worth, then sell him to an unsuspecting buyer for what he thinks he's worth, I would be a very rich guy.

And, that will be the ONLY business I ever do at that shop in Jacksonville.

(Got a couple e-mails today. Seems that this retail jerk was the subject of a couple letters to the editor. The name of the business was not revealed to protect the guilty. A friend stopped by to tell me that he's heard nothing but complaints about the guy's attitude. Guess I'm not alone on this one. I'm thinking of starting a pool...pick a block as to when someone's gonna take a swing at him)