Well, well. I have been bizzie...

...and, I sincerely apologize for not posting my rantings and ravings. As you have likely found out, I have taken on the additional chore of a morning talk show on Thunder Country, 96.3, WRHT. The station's transmitter, 100-thousand watts of it, is located near Morehead City NC. The show is called Live and Local and my partner-in-crime and I say pretty much what we think. And, we take calls from you folks who want to agree or disagree with us. If you're in eastern NC, give us a "listen-up", Monday-Fridays 7-9 am. If you want to chat with us, call during that time. 866-963-1037. You'll get our producer, Jeff Hackett. He does NOT screen the calls. He simply gets some basic info so he can I-M me, letting me know who's calling and what they want to talk about. All we ask is that you keep it clean.

You don't have to agree with either of us. And, we'll listen to most anything you have to say. Of course, you must understand that we may challenge you. That makes for good conversation. We're always interested in government waste, and if you have examples, let us know. We'll
investigate, and try to get a response for you.

We talk, a lot, about local, state and national politics. We are conservative-oriented, and we express our viewpoints. We a pro-military, and pro law enforcement. We talk about important social issues, we say the things that others won't say (except those shock talk-show guys who say outrageous things just to get your blood boiling, oftentimes, without any facts), but I think we use a lot of good old common sense when we take positions.

We think that it is the DUTY and responsibility of every qualified US citizen to vote, but that they should vote responsibly, and not because of race or gender. Our leaders should be seen as neither man nor woman, nor black nor white.

We do not believe that being born poor, rich, black, white, man or woman entitles you to anything other than the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. There is no such thing as entitlement. There are classes in this country, but that doesn't mean that a person in one class can't move up or down or sideways to another class. That's life.

We think that the people who make money are good people. Without big business, there will be fewer employment opportunities for the rest of us. I really want enjoy working for a rich boss and a viable company. Yes, you and I help them get richer. And, when they get richer, they pay more taxes. I believe everyone, including big business, should pay their fair share, and I am not smart enough to know what that is. And, neither are you. I do feel that the more fair taxes they pay, the better off this country is.

My partner's name is Bill Hitchcock. He's been in the radio/TV/production business for a long time, and has produced saltwater fishing shows for a long time. All in all, a pretty good guy.

Bill and I don't always agree with each other, but our disagreements are good natured ones. We like fishing, and we are pro-God and pro-gun, but we're not stupid. We do not believe that every person out there should be armed. There are nuts running loose...you know who they are...there are crooks out there...and, these folks should have nothing more powerful than a cap pistol.

One area where we agree is politics. Too many politicians, not enough statesmen. We have enough laws- they just need to be enforced by police, judges AND THE PRISON SYSTEM. That's what we think.

We feel that Beverly Perdue, the first woman governor of North Carolina, is a joke and a disgrace to all women. Thank goodness, as you've read here already, that she got a little smarter during her first term, and chose not to seek a second one. The handwriting was all over the wall, the floor, and the ceiling. Raleigh and all of North Carolina gains, New Bern (her hometown) loses.

And, we are absolutely flabbergasted that Barack O-damn-Bama is the president of the greatest nation on this earth. What were the voters thinking? I am firmly convinced that Daly's Chicago politics remains alive and has infected the entire nation with a virus more powerful than any that have attacked our computers.

Along that line, I want to share my comments that I wrote recently in response to a YouTube posting that a high school classmate forwarded to me. And, I'll share her response, without giving her name (because I haven't asked her permission). What prompted all of it was the revelation, as I discussed on Live and Local that the fine folks at Homeland Security had ordered 450-MILLION rounds of .40 caliber handgun ammo. Now, folks, even for me, that's a lot of bullets. For more than one reason, I expressed concerns about this purchase:

For one reason or another, either Obama or his successor (Biden, in case something happens to Obama) will be forced to declare martial law when riots break out. ALL rights guaranteed by the Constitution will be suspended. That will include free speech (there goes talk radio), assembly (no one able to organize), and possession of guns.
The US Government, for many years, has been gathering details on private gun ownership. This is done through sales, registration, and other ways. Once martial law is declared, the goons will go door to door, collecting guns. Going up against armed citizens, those goons will need lots of ammunition to meet with what is sure to be heavy resistance.
This, no doubt, will be the end of the United States as we have known it for more than 200 years. It will be the beginning of a socialist dictatorship.

My friend responded, writing:

Please dear God, not in our lifetime. We would never recover...and yet Raeford, if he is killed, I can see it happening...look what they did when Dr King was killed. Raeford, I was having such a good Saturday before I read this email! It's good to know I have a friend who thinks and speculates and probably prays too...that the speculation will not come to pass. I enjoy hearing from you and I wish your morning radio show was on the internet.

My thanks for the comments you post, and for those of you who have called us. As always, we welcome you opinions.
  

Late Breaking: Perdue gets smart, but we'd better watch out!

Yep. That's what I'm hearing. NC's excuse for a governor, Beverly Purdue, has decided NOT to seek re-election!!!!! This comes amid a growing flood of anti-Perdue feelings. No doubt, the democratic party has convinced her that she stands a zero chance of being re-elected. Now, the party must come up with a viable candidate to offset republican Pat McCrory's strengths. Most realists have been pretty open in the fact that McCrory, a former Charlotte mayor, would walk all over Perdue in November. A virtual shoe-in, they say.

I'm not too sure that the democrats can find a candidate that can beat McCrory. Folks around these parts have become pretty sick and tired of putting up with a less than mediocre governor.

So, who can they dig up? Hey, Jim Hunt could make another run. Just kidding. I would look at Roy Cooper, the state's attorney general. I'm just not too sure he can muster enough votes, either.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
The legislature needs to quickly adopt legislation that will prohibit Perdue from pardoning ANYONE in prison. Given the idiotic action by another lame duck governor, a man who turned loose all sorts of inmates, including killers, it would not surprise me to see her do something just as stupid. After all, what does she have to lose?

"Kill me if you can"?!?! What a jerk!

There are more than 150 convicted low-life killers eating three meals a day, reading, playing games, taking naps, watching TV, all knowing full well that they will likely die of old age before the State of North Carolina carries out the sentence that more than 150 juries of 12 peers each mandated. Unanimously. After due process, after a fair trial, and after mandated appeals.

Virtually every one of these killers, black and white ones, have appealed their sentences on grounds that "somewhere in North Carolina", there is racial prejudice. Did you read that right? Black AND white killers have filed appeals. The North Carolina legislature passed an amendment last year that would have modified the grounds under which the condemned can appeal based on racial prejudice. But, oh no, that excuse-for-a-governor that the citizens of North Carolina mistakenly elected (by a narrow margin) had the nerve to veto that bill! And, she did it after virtually every one of the state's 44 District Attorneys urged her to sign it into law.Wonder why she thinks she's smarter than all of the DA's in this state???

Let's take the case of one of the killers. He's Danny Robbie Hembree Jr., and in a letter written to his hoemtown newspaper, The Gaston Gazette, the 50-year old said "Kill me if you can, suckers". "Ha, ha, ha".

Personally, I consider that an offer, not a challenge. If this scumbag wants to die, and he's been sentenced to die, why should the taxpayers of this state cough up upwards of $50,000 every year to keep his sorry butt alive? Where's the needle. And, please, don't worry about using an alcohol swab to sanitize the point of injection.

Let's take a look at Hambee's deeds.  He was convicted of suffocating Heather Catterton, 17, in 2009. He's also accused of the 2009 killing of Randi Dean Saldana, 30, whose burned remains were found near Blacksburg, S.C. Hembree admitted to taking drugs and having sex with Catterton and Saldana the day they died, but he told jurors he did not kill them or dump their bodies. He is scheduled to go on trial in March for Saldana's killing.
Hembree also is charged with killing Deborah Ratchford, 30, whose body was found in a Gastonia cemetery in 1992.

What a model citizen.

And, he just taunts the residents in his home town.
"Is the public aware that the chances of my lawful murder taking place in the next 20 years if ever are very slim?" Hembree wrote. "Is the public aware that I am a gentleman of leisure, watching color TV in the A.C., reading, taking naps at will, eating three well-balanced meals a day?"

I am aware of that, but most of you are not. You would be amazed and generally pretty ticked off if you knew how your tax dollars were being squandered on scum like Hembree.

And, he knows that, as long as the likes of Spineless Perdue remain in office, he is most likely to die of old age.
"The state of North Carolina has sentenced me to death, but it's not real," he wrote. "You citizens of Gaston Co. should petition the state and force them to carry out my murder sentence."

The only petition that politicians seem to understand is the ballot. Remember Hembree and the three young ladies he brutally murdered when you visit the polls in November.

The last killer executed in North Carolina was in 2006. Just in case you were wondering.  

Midway Through Oyster Season

A delicious shellfish, these things called oysters. I like them all ways. Roasted, steamed, fried, raw, Rockerfeller-style. You name it, I like it. At least, I haven't found any that I have disliked.

Where are the best oysters found? Well, to hear some folks, those from the Chesapeake Bay area are good. I've had 'em, and they are, indeed, right tasty.
A lot of oyster bars serve oysters they get from the Gulf Coast. Ok, I guess they're fine. Unless you can get them from other places. Like the waters of North Carolina.

 
I'm prejudiced, I admit. But, the oysters from 'round these parts, from Marshallberg to the NC-SC line, are ummm-ummm goooodddd. I grew up eating oysters from the New River area, near Sneads Ferry. The small ones, known as coon oysters, are ever so tasty. Much like the Topsail Rock oysters. Then, there are those from the Stump Sound region. Usually a tad larger, they're sought after by oyster enthusiasts in this neck of the woods.


I had some from the Marshallberg area just recently. First time, for me. Salty, nice size, a great oyster. Had them over Christmas. Steamed them for relatives and friends as a snack. Complete with melted garlic butter, our own cocktail sauce, ketchup...and saltine crackers on the side.

First, ya gotta wash 'em. Best to get them un-washed, complete with their mud. Keep them on ice, but not in the freezer, until you're ready to fire up the pot. Of course, if it's cold outside, just keep them in a cool place, out of the sunlight. By "cold", I'm talking about temps in the 30's, up to about 42-43.

No need to use a pressure washer. That would have too much force. Fast running water and some way to keep them stirred up, works well.

For convenience, I use a big pot with a steamer basket. Holds just shy of a half bushel.

The smaller pot has water to add to the big pot, if needed.

A good gas burner is required. Gotta keep the water in the pot hot. Fill the basket, and cover with a lid.

From the pot, to the table. Game on!

A fine specimen!                                  A purr-fect oyster, cooked just right.

My wife, Robie,

                                                     and granddaughter, Allyson, like them....

I managed to knock back a few, as well.



Radio Show. Live and Local with Raeford and Friends. On Thunder Country.

In case I haven't told you, I am hosting a daily talk radio show out of Jacksonville NC. I'm in Jacksonville, the transmitter and tower are nearby, just otuside Morehead City. And, if you've read any of my blogs, you'll understand when I say that I lean towards the conservative side just a bit. If you want to listen in, and you're within range, tune your FM dial to 96.3 from 7-9 am Monday-Friday. It's teh All New Thunder County. And, if you want to weigh in on pretty much any topic, make a note of this number: 866-963-1037. We talk politics, we speak military, we love to talk about the politics of fishing, and we regularly bash Barack Obama and NC Governor Beverly Perdue.

I'm not necessarily radical...except in certain areas. I am definitely opinionated. That's what Talk Radio is all about. And, I may be persuaded to see it your way, even if it differs from my own point of view. That means, I guess, that I am rational. Up to a point.

For instance, it's doubtful that anything can happen to cause me to vote for Barack Obama. I may have been on the fence, at times, in 2008. I did fall on the opposite side on voting day, but it had to do with choosing what I perceived to be the lesser of two evils. To be more accurate, it had to do with choosing the least inexperienced and the more worldly of the choices we were given.

What's disgusting is that I am once again finding myself in that same boat. Would someone with some real credentials puh-leeze come forward, step up to the plate, and take a swing at the office of president? I'm so tired of voting against candidates. I want to be able to support someone, anyone with a solid plan. I want a candidate who will tell me what he will do to fix our mess. A candidate who will refrain from taking shots at the other candidates. In other words, we need someone who is the BEST person for the job. Not someone who can only shoot down the other contenders.

Forward-thinking is what we need. We certainly did not get it with O-Damn-Bama. All he's done for three years is blame the previous administration. Of course, what else could he do? His so-called positive plans were soon found to have more holes in them than a collander. Kinda like putting a screen door on a submarine.

The Hope and Change that all of us secretely wished for, even if we did not vote for BO, simply vanished. The real but untold reason for electing a fresh face, someone that the apparent majority of US voters chose, soon became apparent. It was because the politically correct crowd  thought it would be cool to have a black president. That was about as dumb a reason as McCain's decision to select a woman as his VP running mate. Just because she was a woman.

I will admit that Sarah Palin did a lot of good for Alaska. And, she might have made for a good vice president. But, we were not selecting a VP, we wanted a Number One guy. We wanted a Commander in Chief. We wanted the best of the best to lead the Greatest Nation on Earth. We wanted a leader of the Free World, one who could command respect anywhere he went. What we got was Barack Obama. A joke in pretty much all other parts of the world, and a joke even among the silent majority members of his own party.

For 2012, as I have said time and again, the November election will decide whether BO gets another four years to straighten up our mess, or whether Mitt Romney will get a shot. He squeaked by in the Iowa caucus, but it was a virtual and mathematical tie. As I blogged earlier, until the republicans unite and stop shooting each other down, no republican currently in the running stands a chance against the incumbent in November. The choices are simple: republicans must either unite behind the person most likely to beat Obama, or find another candidate who has never done anything to anyone at anytime. Maybe there's another community organizer hiding out somewhere who happens to be a republican. And, if he or she can make his or her birth certificate just disappear, at least until after the election, he or she just might stand a chance of winning a majority in November.

Briefly, on Perdue. Not a lot to discuss. She's a one-term, do nothing governor. Makes no difference that she's a woman or a democrat. She doesn't stand a chance in November.

I invite all who want to discuss politics to give us a call, Monday-Friday, 7-9 am. 866-963-1037. Just be civil and keep it mostly clean. Live and Local with Raeford and Friends.   

Happy New Year. Sort of. It's a Leap Year. It's a year to elect or kick out a bunch of folks. Now, for the predictions

2012.
A year that will live in Infamy.
Pretty much like 2008.

We get an extra day this year. An extra day for the largest work force in this country to earn money from the rest of us. It's Leap Year, the year that allows our calendars to actually catch up. You see, what you learned way back when was that there are 365 days in a non-leap year. Actually there are 365-1/4 days in a year. Or, something like that. Adding an extra day once every four years makes up the difference.

It's also an election year. You know, the Big One. Off year elections...those held when there is no presidential race...don't attract as many voters. Or, advertising dollars. Or, program interruptions. Or, baby kissing. Or...worse.

We elect or re-elect, every two years, members of the US House of Representatives. Each state, depending on it's population, has a certain number of districts, represented by one congressman. Each state has two senators, regardless of size or population. Rhode Island has two. So does Alaska. US Senators serve six year terms, with approximately one third of the senate seats up for grabs every two years. That way, even if we wanted to, we couldn't throw out all of the bums in any one year.

The president (with a lower case p) is elected every four years. In case you've been visiting some other planet since 2008, or perhaps you've been stoned for the past three years, our current excuse for the Commander in Chief is Barack Obama. He won the title three years ago, campaigning for Hope and Change. I just hope you still have some change left to spend. The federal government certainly doesn't.

Despite all of the bashing that O-Damn-Bama is getting, only a few mainstream reporters and news organizations seem to realize that, perhaps, the voters made a big mistake in 2008. More Hype than Hope, many say.

Despite the low approval ratings, the questions about BO's nationality (birth certificates, after three years, have finally surfaced), his desire to work "without congress", I'll tell you here and now that he's going to be re-elected. What many of us thought as a no-way-in-this-world will we make that mistake again, just you wait and see. And, save this blog until the evening of the first Tuesday in November. I'll be saying "I told you so". I won't be happy about it, but I'll certainly rub it in your face.

It's not that O-Damn-Bama is doing a good job. He's not. It's that the republican presidential contenders are knocking each other off, one at a time, even before the democrats have a chance to take a shot. The dems are sitting back, just waiting for the bloodied survivor of the republican nominating process to surface. He, or she, won't be a winner. He, or she, will be nothing more than a survivor. But, a wounded and weakened survivor.

Die hard republicans, of course, will vote for whoever the nominee turns out to be. Die hard democrats will vote for Obama. But, the independent thinkers out there, and there are a lot of them, are becoming increasingly disgusted with the republican suicide march, and will likely settle for the comfortable old shoe. Even if it hurts their feet.

Then, it will be the democrats' turn to open fire. And, using the ammo they're gathering during the primaries, it looks like it will be a cake walk as O-Damn-Bama heads back to the White House for another four years of our misery.

The only good thing about the election process in 2012 is that North Carolina's excuse for a governor will be packing her bags. Not much doubt that Beverly Purdue will be vacating the mansion later this year, as Pat McCrory moves in. That's the only sure-fire silver-lining for 2012.

Let's just hope I'm only half wrong. You take a guess at which half.

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.