Good quote

"Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and those abandoned to vice are rewarded, because they flatter the people in order to betray them."

(Joseph Story - Justice of the Supreme Court, son of Elisha Story, a member of the Sons of Liberty.)

Jim Cramer was awesome in this clip.

Jim Cramer was asked about windfall-profits taxes on energy producers on MS-NBC’s "Morning Joe". I love it.

Why have concealed carry in NC?

From an online forum, the question of how to answer a question on a CCW application, "Why do you want a concealed carry permit?" There were some answers from others. Here was my response.

Several answers come to mind.

1. Because a police officer is too heavy to carry around.
2. To exercise my Second Amendment RIGHT. Rights should not require permits.
3. Because my CCW permit is a convenient tool as it doubles as a handgun purchase purchase permit instead of individual permits for each purchase (at least here in NC, don't know about elsewhere)
4. Because I always wanted to spend $90 to exercise my rights.
5. Because I always wanted to spend $90 to be fingerprinted and investigated.
6. Because it is a convenient way to find out if I am indeed a criminal, since I do not have personal access to NICS.

Yeah, sure, like it is all about race...

When two black men commit a crime such as breaking and entering or larceny and one of them gets accidentally killed by the victim of the crime, you can count on the NAACP crying racism. Let the homeowner that accidentally killed the criminal get off light in the court system (instead of being applauded as he should be, in my opinion) and you can count on the NAACP protesting. People like Timothy Hodges is nothing but a race pimp. He exploits his own people for his personal agenda and power. People like him spoke at the town council meeting in Selma when Mayor Charles Hester made a comment about a lynching that had NOTHING to do with a black individual. Yet, the NAACP took the opportunity to exploit the situation as a racist remark. Hester deserved the negative attention as far as I am concerned, but racist it was not. Hodges was just looking for an opportunity to pimp his victimhood message.

John Reid did what he SHOULD have done to protect his livelihood and his home. Of course you will not hear from people like Timothy Hodges that people like Cornelius Brown and his partner should never have been performing criminal acts in the first place. That would not show victim status to the black race. When the perpetrator got caught and killed, then it is to the advantage of a race pimp to exploit the situation. On top of that, when Reid was not indicted, that added fuel to the race pimp's fire. Hey, Timothy Hodges and the NAACP, it is NOT all about race! It is about right and wrong. If you REALLY want to help, educate your own people to avoid being stereotypical in their behavior! Even Barack Obama got that one right yesterday. Why can't YOU?

Wow, Obama actually nails it.

It is about time that someone, regardless of political affiliation, sees and comments upon the truth. This time, it is actually Barack Obama.

Barack Obama celebrated Father's Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are "missing from too many lives and too many homes," to become active in raising their children.

"They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it."

Read more at this link. Some truths just transcend politics, and I am glad to see this commentary.

A fine video on true, traditional, conservative values.

I love the commentary by Reagan and Ron Paul. They are so on target.

It just ain't normal

Follow up to T.D. Jakes post

New Jersey pastor saddened by Jakes praising of Obama

Fellow black pastor Clenard Childress says Jakes, the man Time Magazine and CNN once referred to as "America's Best Preacher," is showing that biblical moral values are not his top priority...

...says he is saddened that Jakes and others in the black community have "lost sight of the values that made this nation great and made African-Americans a resilient people"...

...Childress says it will be difficult for Jakes to preach biblical moral values to his church members now that he has aligned himself with a politician who has no problem with abortion and homosexuality.

Here is the full story.

Yup. Uh huh. Amen.

And I hope they KEEP blocking the bill!

The Senate bill sponsored by Joe Lieberman to control non-existent global warming has been blocked by some Republicans. Thankfully, they have not allowed the bill to come to the floor. This cap-and-trade bill would have amounted to the largest tax increase in US history. Compliance would kill the economy and household incomes. Of course, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the ignorant fool, said "There is no tax increase." Sorry, but any government mandate and restructuring of economy will in essence be a tax increase. Both Presidential candidates are for action to stem the fallacious "global warming", having been hoodwinked by the myth. We will eventually be screwed, either way.

T.D. Jakes puts his race ahead of his faith

I read with disgust a commentary by T.D. Jakes about the pending nomination of Barack Hussein Obama for Democrat candidate for President. Jakes says that it is an "historic accomplishment". No doubt. Never before has a Black made it so far in a Presidential campaign. Let me say this straight up. I could NOT CARE LESS ABOUT THE COLOR OF A MAN'S SKIN if he is running for President of the United States of America. I care about his beliefs. I would probably vote for Condi Rice if she was running. I would vote for Allan Keyes over most other candidates in a minute. What I care about are a man's principles and leadership.

It is with amazement that I see a "Bishop" (I hate titles in the Church. Bishop is the latest fad. Before that it was Apostle. Before that, Prophet) giving such accolades to a man simply because he is of the same race. Two things, Mr. Jakes. First, Obama is HALF Black, since you are paying attention to race. He is not fully Negro. Does THAT matter, or are you just happy to claim someone as one of your own if he has ANY Negroid blood in his veins? If we all go back to Adam and Eve, and again down through the lines of Noah, as his "faith" teaches, then we ALL sprang from a common ancestry, just different genetic combinations. It is with great wonder that I look to see how simple yet so complicated it is for genetics to propagate under God's plan and create all varieties of people.

Here is an absolute apostacy of a quote from Jakes.

However, what I really hope people take away from that night is that this is not just a victory for African Americans, it is a victory for democracy that proves that our country provides possibilities for all people. It is also a sign that a metamorphosis is in progress. Today we saw that Americans respect experience, but are interested in change. I hope that we can somehow merge the best ideas of our differences and emerge with a president who epitomizes our highest and best ideals.

Here are some problems with that quote. First, it is not yet a total victory for anyone. It is potentially a nomination and it is not yet secure, but most likely will be. Second, it is not a victory for "African Americans". Personally, I despise that term since it is a misnomer. Not all Blacks in America came from Africa or from ancestors that came from Africa. Furthermore, there are millions of Whites in Africa, as well. I do not consider myself an "Anglo American" or a "Franco American". I am an American. Period. Should White men and women who immigrated from South Africa or other nation on that continent also be referred to as "African Americans?" If my French ancestors were native to French colonies in Africa, then later immigrated to North America, should I start referring to myself as "African American"? Why so many terms by which Black wish to be referenced? There was Black, Colored, Negro, now "African American". Choose one and stick with it. Thus, I refuse to use the term in every day vernacular, just as I refuse to use the term "gay" to refer to homosexuals. Both are hijacked, inaccurate terms arbitrarily and autocratically derived.

Third, we do not live in a "democracy". We live in a representative republic. There is a huge difference. Mr. Jakes should know that, but he instead perpetuates the lie of us being a democracy.

Fourth, Americans DO respect experience. Barack Hussein Obama just has very little of it to be taken seriously as a candidate by everyone who will not vote for him. That has been a major topic of discussion since he announced his candidacy. Mr. Jakes, to WHAT experience do you refer?

Fifth, we can not "emerge with a president who epitomizes our highest and best ideals" in this election cycle. None of the three candidates (stooges) reflect that statement. If Obama epitomizes our highest and best ideals, then the United States must be a Socialist nation and no longer exists in its original form as bound by its Constitution or foundation. Wherein does Barack Hussein Obama reflect the highest ideals of America? He wants to socialize medicine, he refuses to meet with our military leaders in Iraq, he wants to raise taxes, and turn a Republic run on capitalism into a Socialist Utopia.

Another quote by Jakes is

I congratulate not just Sen. Obama on his victory, but the country on this landmark event that has shattered a past all too often filled with reasons to separate us as opposed to a voice of reason to unite us.

Mr. Jakes, it is not the color of Obama's skin that divides him from those of a different skin tone. It is his politics, his beliefs, his lack of experience, and just plain being an inappropriate candidate for President. The only people who are united are those who put their skin color ahead of their principles, or are liberals and therefore have no sound principles.

As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, T.D. Jakes of all people should be absolutely disgusted with the racist, hateful, and theologically errant pastor, Jeremiah Wright's teachings. As the leader of his home, Barack Hussein Obama chose Rev. Wright to perform his marriage ceremony, baptize him and his children, provide spiritual nourishment for his family, and to sow into that infertile ground with his money and time. Nobody can convince me that you can go to a church for two decades and not understand the sort of philosophies perpetuated by the leader of said church. To deny that is a blatant lie and is of the Father of All lies. For T.D. Jakes to endorse this behavior, indirectly endorse these values, and to approve of a man who has been thusly indoctrinated is just plain wrong and antithetical to the Gospel he claims to represent.

I have no problem congratulating Barack Hussein Obama on his accomplishment. It is indeed an historic event and great accomplishment. However, when men of principle fail to exhibit the very substance for which they purport to stand, it disgusts me. I am a man of faith in Christ before I am a White man or an American. My faith determines my principles and my identity, not my skin color. I have had problems with the theology of T.D. Jakes as it is. This obviously shows more problems with Jakes' theology. Disgusting.

This should be interesting

For the FIRST time in my life, I have received a jury summons. Within the last month, I got a survey from the US District Court. I filled it out and returned it as required. Today, I got a summons. Hhhhmmmm.

Fan mail and hate mail about my last column

I apparently hit a nerve with my May 29th column. Just a few hours apart, I got some fan mail and some hate mail. Here are both. The fan mail is shorter, so I lead with it.

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Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 15:49:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Janie"
To: troy@troylaplante.com
Subject: tired of paying-----
Glad someone is speaking up about these kinds of things. The gov. certainly is not listening tho. I wish they could get hold of some of this wrong doing. I had a hard time getting to whePre I am but I worked hard and did it. So can others. Thanks for speaking out. Janie Corbett Wilsons Mills

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And now the hate mail, to which I wrote a LONG response and offered to print her letter as a rebuttal column one week.
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Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 19:58:53 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
From: "jennifer"
To: troy@troylaplante.com
Subject: tired of paying for others


Mr. Laplante, I would like to start off by saying that I too love in Public Housing so may not reach the criteria necessary for you to even read this e-mail. I will however write and send it to you for my own benefit. I moved into housing as a single mother of three children recently divorced with only a high school education. During my stay in public housing I have obtained an associate degree and a bachelor degree with the help of Financial Aid, Loans, Scolarships and work study programs. I have not once been without a job since I was fifteen and worked throughout my college career. That having been said I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work this past May and have gained employment in a field relative to my degree but due to the lack of experience on my part still strive for better paying employment. I cannot afford to move out of public housing even on my income which is higher than most of my fellow project buddies. I personally know the family whose home was broken into. The family has a set of twins both suffering from cerebral palsy. Can you imagine? My sister lives next door in the same set of projects as me and she also has a daughter with cerebral palsy. I personally have no children who suffer from any disease, but I can tell you that my sister pays the full amount of rent which runs about the rate of a house in our neighborhood. The only benfit is the utilitiy costs are substantially lower. Both my sister and I strive to move out of public housing where our homes are entered weekly, our children are not allowed any outside toys, no pools, no tramploines, no sport equipment, we cannot put up border, plant flowers, get satellite without permission, and have any personal privacy. I have no central air, no dryer hook up, and my clothes line is under some trees in a neighbor's yard where birds do there buisness on my clothes daily. My son has been stung by a bee that hid
in his underwear of the line. He has also been biten by a spider that caused him to have his leg sliced open to drain the poison. None of this compares to living in fear that someone that is in our same project will break into our home while we are gone to steal the few possessions we do have not to mention the fear of a home invasion from these same thieves risking the lives of our childre or ourselves. I have so much anger and rage toward your comments about us having to shop in thrift sotres because we cannot afford to have nicer things. Who would choose poverty of prosperity. So many of these families have obstacles you cannot even imagine. Regardless of your claims of poverty, I cannot believe you have endured the lengths of which so many of us in these neighborhoods have. I feel that you have been spoiled by life and are in a position to judge freely because you pay taxes. Had you lived in the years of the depression and seen the government create these programs that helped so many American's to survive. To benefit from these programs should not mean that the person should live the most impoverished life available. You should be ashamed of yourself and your printing of such comments in my opinnion. Who am I though, just an educated poor person striving to gain the luxury you have. I still have so much I would love to say, but I truly believe my experience and beliefs will be waisted upon your ears and eyes. I am just greatful that there are people out there that are not so spoiled by there lives to see that everyone deserves to have a little luxury in there lives that last so short and that there children should not have to be clothed by the local thrift store just because they recieve a little help in this harsh world where they were blessed with two severly sick children who will not recover and will continue to be sick. Diapers for life, specializes equipment, nurses, docters visits, drool that dosen't stop, the lack of speech, feeding tubes, a trach in the throat, and so much more than you can imagine and your worrid about tax money. Money can't buy you or those three babies health or happiness. You disgust me with your thinking. Write a letter to George W. Bush and complain to him about feeding and fighting for the Iraqi people and the war. There are levelsor castes in every society. The rich, the middle class and the poor.It has to be that way according to some philosphers. You should be glad you don't have to work the fields for the fruits and vegetables you eat or for the cotten that your clothes are made of. Be happy you don't have to flip the burger that your family eats on a trip out. Be happy you don't have to wash the nice vehicles of those who come to the car wash. Be happy you have what you have and leave those of us just struggling to have a little of what life has to offer alone. I hope that you are not angered by my opinnions and I hope I sounded a little knowledgable on the subject. I hope these things for myself though not for you. You already have to much luxury in life.

Jennifer Williams

I don't know if ALL positions are needed, but I would like to know more

I was reading an article about the special town council meeting last week in which the town of Selma is looking to add back some of the positions it cut under the budget crunch two years ago. I can understand that when things are better financially, we can then contemplate hiring back staff. I have no problem with that concept. I do not have sufficient information to complete my opinion, however. I am not convinced yet that we would need to hire a complete planning department for a town of only 3.5 square miles. I am also not convinced that we need three part time positions in the fire department, either. I would have to get more information and justification from the chief before taking a decision as to my opinion on the matter. There was a huge opposition to hiring a full time chief, but I was in support of the idea and think that the department and the town are better off as a result. I do not know, however, if we need the part time slots or not. I look forward to reading more on the subject.

Wow, it this yutz in for a big surprise

Maybe it does not bother others, but I am bothered by the fact that Barack Hussein Obama is willing to sit down with people like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but not with our own generals on the ground in Iraq.

Ahmadinejad is a saber rattling mosquito that needs to be dealt with eventually. I doubt that it will be handled unless he provokes the issue. I have no problem with turning the sands of Iran into a sea of glass if Iran provokes war.

Islam is inherently evil. Its genesis determines its nature, being founded on a fraudulent premise and violence by a false prophet. I know that I have been labeled a "zionist" for supporting Israel. However, I know the scriptural implications of not doing so. I know that God is not through with his chosen people with whom He still has a covenant. Jews are despised around the world because they are God's people, period. Often, evil Islamic blowhards threaten to wipe them off the fact of the earth. They teach hatred for Jews and Israel from one generation to the next. They will one day be in for a huge surprise when the Lord deals with the infidels of Islam. It is ironic that they refer to non Muslims as infidels when they, themselves are the true description of the term.

It is of no surprise that an evil man is threatening and boasting that Israel will soon cease to exist. Every so often, some nut case spouts off like this.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted on Monday that Muslims would uproot "satanic powers" and repeated his controversial belief that Israel will soon disappear, the Mehr news agency reported.

"I must announce that the Zionist regime (Israel), with a 60-year record of genocide, plunder, invasion and betrayal is about to die and will soon be erased from the geographical scene," he said.

"Today, the time for the fall of the satanic power of the United States has come and the countdown to the annihilation of the emperor of power and wealth has started."

The Selma Strategic Plan

I have not read the entire document, but The Selma News has published the newly released Strategic Plan. The plan was printed in its entirety in this last print edition of The Selma News. I have not read the entire document yet, but shall. I will most likely do a column or two of my commentary on said plan. Read the linked page for the article on the plan and the pdf file of the report itself.

It is good to see someone like Cheryl Oliver working on the plan for one reason to which I am sure that some others may be oblivious. I do not mean this in an insulting manner, but Cheryl was "dumb as a brick" on town matters when she ran for town council. She was obviously ignorant of a lot of things facing the town when we were interviewed by The Smithfield Herald during election season. I was dumb as a brick before I made a conscious decision to become informed and get involved several years back, myself. I use that expression often, noting that I expect people to be dumb as a brick before becoming educated on different topics or fields of study. I am hoping that this effort has been good for Cheryl to become autodidactic. I have liked some of her perspectives on a few things and how she seems to want to learn all she can to perform her duties as town councilor with an informed opinion. I am glad to see that. I only wish others would do the same.

NC Public Records Bill a good thing. I hope it passes

Even here in a small town, the local officials will "stone wall" efforts to obtain public records when requested. I know of one person who had to hire a lawyer to get information that was supposed to be public record. Under a newly proposed bill in the NC Legislature, local governments that illegally deny access to their public records would be required to pay the legal fees of those who request records. Good for State Sen. David Hoyle. Here is the full story.

Government agencies would be required to pay citizens' lawyer bills when they illegally deny access to public records, under a legislative proposal the sponsor says was spurred by several recent newspaper lawsuits.

The bill, introduced by Sen. David Hoyle, D-Gaston, would ensure citizens and groups receive money to cover their legal costs when they sue for access to public records under the state's open records law.

Hoyle, a longtime proponent of open government laws, said the measure would make government agencies think twice about denying access to public records.

"I think this may cause them to pause and say, 'Wait, why did I want this, and if I happen to lose in this situation, it could cost me some money,'" Hoyle said. "I think you'll see less litigation."

Many government organizations have opposed similar proposals in the past, citing fears that they will be hit with big legal bills for unintentionally blocking access to public records.

Current state law leaves legal fee awards up to a judge's discretion. That means courts can decide to award no money or part of the victors' legal tabs if it decides the agency had "substantial justification in denying access" or there were circumstances which would make awards "unjust."

The bill would make payment of "reasonable" legal fees, as determined by a judge, mandatory, Hoyle said.

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners are inclined to support leaving the award decision up to a judge to prevent local governments from getting socked with hefty bills for unintentionally violating the law, spokesman Todd McGee said.

"Sometimes it could just be a situation where it could be an honest mistake or a lack of a person's understanding of the rules," McGee said.

But John Bussian, a lawyer and lobbyist for the North Carolina Press Association, said the prospect of paying large legal bills sometimes dissuades people from challenging access denials – even when they know the record they requested is a public record. He said he backs Hoyle's proposal because it will help ensure government openness.

"If a citizen or a member of the press has to wonder are they going to be able to recover what they invest to get the government to do what it's supposed to do, a lot of times the choice may be, 'We'll have to let this one go,'" Bussian said. "If they forego a lawsuit, well then, the government goes Scott-free."

The bill also would create the Open Government Unit, as a wing under the attorney general's office. The unit would function as a "sunshine" office, charged with issuing non-binding opinions about open records disputes before they entered the courtroom.

Hoyle said he was spurred by a number of cases where newspapers – including the Outer Banks Sentinel – endured protracted legal proceedings to access public records.

For three years, the Outer Banks Sentinel tangled with Kitty Hawk officials over access to records related to the town's legal fees. Local officials denied the paper the files, so the paper sued and won both in a lower court and the Court of Appeals.

The paper racked up about $135,000 in legal fees in the process, said Managing Editor Sandy Semans. A judge awarded the paper $75,000 for legal fees, while the law firm representing Kitty Hawk settled out-of-court for $20,000, Semans said, leaving the Sentinel to cover the rest.

"The fear of having to pay those kind of fees, even if you win, is certainly a detriment to pursuing open government situations," Semans said.

Hoyle pegged the legislation's chances as "better than even" but acknowledged that opponents have time on their side, as lawmakers are focused on passing the budget and adjourning quickly. Both the House and the Senate would have to approve the plan before it would head to Gov. Mike Easley for consideration.

If it does not pass this year, Hoyle said he will propose it again next year.

"You know, this is not high on a lot of people's radar screens," Hoyle said.

And the "old guard" of the Selma Fire Department was so opposed to change...

This is one reason why I was hugely in support of the idea of hiring a full time fire chief in Selma. I knew that we would get better service, better training, and better accountability to the citizens and town. This article speaks for itself. Thanks, Chief McDaniel. From The Selma News.

Council approves Medical First Responder Program for Selma Fire Department
By Kelly Lake, News Editor 29.MAY.08

The Selma Town Council has approved a request by Fire Chief Phillip McDaniel to create a medical responder program within the Selma Fire Department.
McDaniel said the program could mean the difference between life and death in some emergency situations.

A medical responder program is a level of certification the Selma Fire Department could receive that would enable members to respond to EMS calls to assist citizens in times of life threatening illness or injury, according to McDaniel.

“If someone calls 911 with chest pains, an ambulance would be dispatched,” said McDaniel. “But, if an ambulance wasn’t at the Selma station, one from a surrounding community would be sent with a delayed response time. That could mean the difference between life and death.”

He said once the Selma Fire Department starts its first responder program, members can respond in a matter of minutes with basic life support equipment.
The fire department currently has seven certified first responders and one other in training.

The cost of the program would be about $3,000 for initial equipment and the cost of personnel. That money is included the fire department’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year, beginning in July.

The county also provides $4,000 in additional funds to medical responder squads, according to McDaniel.

If the program is approved by the town council and the program would need the approval of Johnston County Commissioner through a public hearing. Thirty days later, the department could begin answering calls.

What a scumbag.

Sometimes, people amaze me. I did a lot of illegal and crazy stuff as a youth, myself. Some things, however, I would not do. I admit to stealing a bunch of traffic signs, and my favorite ones were "SLOW CHILDREN" signs. Why advertise that you have stupid kids in the neighborhood? However, I would not have stolen stuff like an American flag.

I was reading a news story on WTSB's news page about some scumbag(s) who stole American flags from in front of a church. They were for Memorial Day commemoration. That is just plain low.

Mayor Seeks Return Of US Flags Stolen From Selma Church
Selma Mayor Charles Hester is hopeful thieves who stole 8 US flags on display for Memorial Day will do the right thing and return them. The flags and two flag stands were stolen from the front of Selma Baptist Church sometime between May 24 and May 27. The items were owned by Mayor Hester who had placed them in front of the church in honor of veterans who fought to protect our country. In a report, Hester told Selma police he hopes the items, valued at $260, will be returned. Anyone with information about the missing US flags is asked to contact Selma Police at 919-965-8189.

It only hurts when I cough, sneeze, or laugh

Not last night, but the night before I must have really overdone it. I was outside playing with my five year old. His mom bought a "Slip and Slide" type thing. You remember the old Slip N' Slide? It is a long plastic sheet that has water sprinkling on it, you run and dive, then slide to the end. I am a big guy, and I have not done anything like this in some 25 plus years. My first dive really knocked the wind out of me, not having hit the deck like that in years. I played on that slide for about and hour and a half. We both kept sliding over and over. I expected my back to really hurt, but my ribs are what are hurting right now. It feels like when you have a real bad cold and keep coughing so much that your ribs hurt for days. Yeah, that's the hurt. Ouch! A fat guy, a $7 Slip and Slide, and a 5 year old equate to pain for a few days.

Revenge will be mine, though. I also bought two Super Soaker squirt guns. I have wanted to do this stuff with a tyke for years. Thank you, Lord, for my dreams coming true.

I wonder if we will ever see this concept again in Selma

I am a firm believer in the idea that with any budget much larger than the average household, there is wasteful spending. I find areas that I could trim in my own spending. When it comes to government, I find it especially true. I have seen wasteful spending in corporate America as well as in government.

What I find interesting is how budgets are handled in different locations. I found a news article about the town where my mother resides, Bow, NH. The town had a meeting and they actually trimmed the town budget by $400,000. Bow is about the same size as Selma. There is about a $50,000 median income difference between the two towns, however.

Anyway, here is an excerpt from the article.

Bow finally took care of business last night, as residents gathered to finish voting on the annual town meeting warrant. Last night's meeting was a continuation from two weeks ago, when long debate over the annual budget delayed action on the rest of the warrant.

At that meeting, residents voted to trim the proposed budget by about $400,000, from $8.3 million to $7.9 million. Last night's meeting held little such drama, with the votes moving along efficiently and swiftly.

In Bow, the town residents are much more involved in the town decision taking than here in Selma. Perhaps that is why they were able to cut the budget so much. Food for thought.

I ran across this...Obama for Prez!

Something I have advocated for years...a return to Blackjack Pershing

From Crusader Ammunition's web site:

Just before World War I, there were a number of terrorist attacks
on the United States forces in the Philippines by Muslim extremists.
So General Pershing captured 50 terrorists and had them tied to posts for execution.
He then had his men bring in two pigs and slaughter them in front of the now horrified
terrorists. Muslims detest pork because they believe pigs are filthy animals. Some of them simply refuse to eat it, while others won't even touch pigs at all, nor any of their by-products. To them, eating or touching a pig, its meat, its blood, etc., is to be instantly barred from paradise (and those virgins) and doomed to hell. The soldiers then soaked their bullets in pigs blood, and proceeded to execute 49 of the terrorists by firing squad. The soldiers then dug a big hole, dumped in the terrorist's bodies and covered them in pig blood, entrails, etc. They let the 50th man go. And for the next forty-two years, there was not a single Muslim extremist attack anywhere in the world.

Are Johnston County people just out of their flippin' minds?

I stumbled across the 2007 Reader's Choice Awards that The Smithfield Herald sponsors each year. I was looking at the winners for things like best optometrist, best coffee, best bakery, best Chinese restaurant, and some others. I kept saying to myself, "What the..." I could not believe how uncultured some people must be. The best bakery is Wal-Mart? Are you kidding me??? WTF? Hey, Johnstonians! Get out of your trailer park and explore your own county!

The town where I live

Hanging out with a 5 year old

This morning, I got the pleasure of witnessing something from a five year old boy. He has a keyboard given to him for his birthday by his grandmother. It has a plug in microphone to sing along with the keyboard. This morning, he plugged in the mic and started banging away on the keys and broke into song. He kept singing, "I saw God today. I saw God today." It is a line from a song by George Strait. I asked him if he saw God yesterday and if he was going to see him again tomorrow. He had no answer. He just went back to singing the line, "I saw God today" over and over. Then he stopped and said, "Just one more song then y'all can leave church!" I have no idea where he got that, but I was thoroughly amused. Then he immediately started singing "I'm to sexy for my shirt, to sexy for my shirt!" by Right Said Fred, and even made up some lyrics like, "and I don't have my shirt any more because my grandma took it". I have never heard that song in church before. That gave me my laugh for the day.

Well, I can finally talk about it

I could go into great detail about the details of the last eight plus months of my life. However, not too much would be served by a novel about things. Here are the details in a nut shell.

First, my wife, Teresa, and I have been separated for going on nine months now. She left after getting caught for yet a fourth time in an internet and this time in person romance. This time it was with her former fiance, whom she knew before she ever met me. She and I were married 12.5 years before she left. November 18th would have been our 13th wedding anniversary.

I could have dealt with that fine except that she decided to falsely make a claim of domestic violence and took out a restraining order upon me. Since I am a firearms enthusiast, it really irked me in that I had to give up every gun I owned at the time until that restraining order was resolved. Forget the fact that it violates both the 2nd and the 4th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It is also just patently unfair in that it is an ex parte order, meaning from ONE party.

I had to hire a lawyer in the county in which the order was requested, which was not even the correct jurisdiction. She took almost four days after leaving to file the order, which tells me that she had to have been talked into it. If her life was in danger, she should have contacted the local authorities and filed the order here in Johnston County.

Anyway, long story short, I hired a lawyer and won my case. The judge found no credibility in the story presented by Teresa and found both me and my witness to be very credible. That is as it should be. There are so many details to tell, but the bottom line is that I won my case and justice was served. It still cost me $1000 in legal fees and three trips to Asheboro to fight it, but it was worth it. I was vindicated.

The sad thing is that some political opportunists took that story (and I think I know from whence it came and spread. I can count on one hand how many people in this town knew I was separated, much less about the restraining order) and made it into the lie that I was a wife beater and that is the reason I was getting a divorce. That smear campaign really cost me dearly in the last election.

Actually, I don't mind losing the election, since so many things came out of that time period. Once women found out that I was single again, I was asked out by several of them. Three different women asked me out fairly early on. In the first three months, I went out with three different women.

My lawyer's advice was, "Hey, you are single now. Act like it. Go out on dates. Have fun. Have all the sex you want to. I just don't want to hear about it." I followed that advice somewhat. I did date a few women. Some were great experiences, one horrible. The last one was phenomenal and still is.

I dated one woman I have known for a little while, one I just met, and one I met online. The one I met online and I went out for three weeks. Some parts were wonderful, some horrific. I sure learned a lot about life, relationships, and myself during that ordeal. That was about the time of the election. I was fairly depressed for the first three months after the split with the ex. The fourth month I really changed for the better, and that is a good thing.

Four months after Teresa left, I met a wonderful lady through match.com. She, too, had a marriage that went bad because of a cheating spouse. I actually had a lot in common with her ex in terms of work background, but that is about where the similarities stop. Oh, that and the first name beginning with the same letter.

Sharon has been the complete opposite of my ex in many ways. We have been pretty much inseparable since early December. She has a wonderful (now) five year old son named John. He calls me Mr. Troy, and we are close buddies.

Early on, Sharon and I knew where we were headed in our relationship. Just one week into the relationship, we were getting extremely close and were falling in love. Within two weeks, we both knew that we would eventually marry. We have been together for almost five months now. Her family thinks the world of me and I of them. Her mother already refers to me as her son-in-law rather than her daughter's boyfriend. My mom adores Sharon and John both, as she met them early this month. Everyone I know who has met Sharon has been highly complimentary of her and has absolutely fallen in love with her. I have been told how well I am doing this time around. Thank you, God for your grace and mercy on this big, old, loud guy who was so lonely and hurting.

Sharon brings many things I have prayed for, literally for years. Among them is the fact that she desires children. She has the one boy, but wants more, as do I. She is gainfully employed, which is always a plus. She works hard on the relationship. I have given her free reign in decorating my house, since it will eventually be hers. I have already remodeled two rooms in the past month or so, one of which is to be a bedroom for her son. I already have it decorated for a little boy. I also keep a lot of toys here at the house since John and Sharon spend a lot of time with me here.

We are expecting a wedding date in late September or early October. I already have the rings. We are both looking forward to moving on with our respective lives, blending together as one. We are also both looking forward to having a full family together, which has been my life's dream. I just wish that I did not have to wait until I was 40 to enjoy that.

Below are a few pictures taken earlier this evening at Chuck E. Cheese in Goldsboro, NC at their sketch pad machine of me with Sharon and John and Sharon.

OK, now you know. I was sitting on that information for months. I have kept silent on the advice of my lawyer until a contract was signed between me and the ex. That amongst several other reasons is why I have remained silent in this blog and on several other venues about some stuff.

Prove you need it and are using wisely what we already give you FIRST!

Why do we as citizens allow for such flagrant wasteful spending? If we did not allow illegal aliens in our schools, we would not have the need for more buildings, teachers, staggered openings, double bus routes, and increased budgets. But, I digress. When have we ever had a budget stay the same, much less decrease? It has not happened. I am sure that there is no "zero based" budgeting going on. It is sheer laziness to simply add a percentage figure to the budget from the previous year and submit it. A $5.3 million hike is nothing tiny in a county of 140,000 people or so. Show me that the money is being used efficiently and I will consider supporting the 10.5% increase. Doubtful, though.

From WTSB's news page:

Superintendent Unveils $56.3 Million Budget Proposal
Superintendent Dr. Anthony Parker presented members of the Johnston County School Board a proposed $56.3 million budget for the 2008-09 school year. The budget of $56,337,443 is up about 10.5 percent or $5.3 million over the current fiscal year spending plan. By state law, the budget must be passed and presented to county commissioners by May 15. School officials plan to hold a budget work session before that day. School Board Chairman Kay Carroll said, "I am pleased that we only had an increase of 10.5 percent. Dr. Parker said the two major money issues looming over the board are overcrowding, mainly because of growth in western Johnston County, and the need to increase teacher supplements to remain competitive with more wealthy school districts in the Triangle."

I knew of three. 7?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 7 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

The real reason the town manager is leaving Selma

From The Selma News:

Selma Town Manager Stan Farmer turned in his resignation to Town Council Monday night.

Farmer, manager for the past two years, is headed to Horseshoe Bay, Texas, to take over as town manager. He will leave in about three weeks, said Mayor Charles Hester.

Stan Farmer was quoted as saying, "I saw the handwriting on the wall here in Selma, so to speak. Combine that with the fact that I don't want to be in a town where they don't elect people like Troy to the town council and it was an easy decision for me to seek employment elsewhere."

Good luck with the new job, Stan.

I know, I know

It has been a while since I blogged last. I have been so extremely busy with work, remodeling the house, having family visit from out of state, and with affairs of my own that I have had little time to do much of anything of my own. There are plenty of things that I want to write about, but I am constrained from doing so for either legal reasons (someday I will explain that one) or for the sake of avoiding a few situations. I have been rather reticent lately for a reason. Just know that all is well.

I can tell y'all that my vacation to New England at the end of this month has been canceled. I had already bought airline tickets to get me there on Skybus. They are a fairly new airline but they went out of business last weekend. If they had waited a month, I would have been in New Hampshire for a week and back before they went bust, but nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Such is the story of my life.

Here is a cute shirt I found online. I am thinking about ordering one.