JDA: What a waste!

Well, I must confess that I usually skip Alan NeSmith's pieces in the T&G. However, this morning, as I was giving yesterday's edition one last once-over before trashing it, I noticed that he was ragging on the much deserving JDA. http://www.tribune-georgian.com/articles/2008/05/30/opinion/3opinion5.30.txt Those of you who have read my rants on the JDA in other forums and, if memory serves me, in a letter to the T&G, will certainly recognize many of Alan's points. I just got back from checking the 08/09 budget on the county website. The JDA was sheduled to get $276,900, or 1% of the entire county budget. As Alan points out, what we get for that 1% every year is absolutely nothing. Alan is willing to give Bob Noble credit ofr Express Scripts. I'm not. As y'all have heard me opine before, I'm convinced that the in-house Walmart real estate division in Bentonville, Arkansas sought out and hooked Express Scripts so as to get off of the remaining balance of a ten-year lease on the old Walmart building. I've offered to apologize if Mr. Noble can present documentation (i.e., solicitation correspondence) that he actually recruited Express Sripts, rather than just taking credit for it after the fact. That offer still stands. So, if I'm correct, the net increase in payroll in the county directly attributable to Mr. Noble's "efforts" during his tenure in his present sinecure is absolutely ZERO! His job is essentially one of selling the county to businesses looking to start up or relocate. In the private sector, there are sales jobs that pay a modest salary plus commissions or straight commissions with no salary. Either way, you don't keep your job long if you don't meet or make acceptable progress towards sales goals. That may seem a tough row to hoe, but look what happens when you put a salesman on a lucratrive salary with an expense account and let him know that you really don't care if he never sells a damned thing. I ask you: have I not just accurately described just exactly what the Camden County Board of Commissioners has done with both Mr. Noble and Mr. Weissanse (sp?) before him? Folks, isn't it about time that we put the commisssioners on notice that the status quo is just not going to cut it any more? Here's the link to e-mail addresses for all county commissioners. http://www.co.camden.ga.us/index.asp?nid=80 Seems to me that all candidates for the county commission should be hammered on this with questions from the audience in upcoming candidates' fora. Letters-to-the editor can't hurt, either. Why are we not in aggressively in the hunt for a cellulosic ethanol plant? Ditto for a distribution center to break down, sort, and ship out containerized cargo from the port of Jacksonville. Surely, there is SOMETHING that can be cleanly manufactured in Camden County and exported through the Port of Jacksonville, which now (or soon will) offers regular container liner service to every part of the world. What else can y'all think of? We just graduated over 500 kids from CCHS. Can the county offer family-sustaining jobs to even 5% of them at this time - or even after college? I doubt it. That's unacceptable.

Van update.

Well, it's a slow news day so far. I probably will not get reports of BTW's nefarious weekend activites until tomorrow or Monday, so I thought I would give y'all the latest on the diagnosis and treatment of my 2007 Ford E-250 van. Turns out I may have been a little rough on Ford. Dan, the service writer at Lilliston Ford, called me Thursday afternoon. They had gotten the new "brain" in earlier than expected and had already installed it. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was still out of spec and dumping in excess fuel which was going straight into the exhaust system, unburned, and sure to burn out the new catalytic converter. One of the mechanics ran a diagnostic test on the brain itself. At one test point where he should have gotten a reading of 7 volts (I think he said), it was only reading three. They then traced out a wiring harness going to the motor for the hydraulic pump that works my wheelchair lift. When they found where it plugged or coupled into the van's electrical system, they unplugged it. The brain's readings immediately came back into spec and it quit dumping gas. So, now, the Lilliston Ford people are in "consultation" with the company that installed all of the wheelchair related stuff (lift, door openers/closers, 6 way driver's seat, and wheelchair lockdown) to see if they can figure out how to get power to that stuff without screwing up the brain. All of the work so-far has been done on Ford's nickel under warranty. I believe this is about to get very "interesting." Meanwhile, my van remains in the shop. I hope to hear some good news by Monday afternoon.

"The case for nukes."

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/28/technology/Case_for_nukes_Spiers.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008052913 Amen!

Has our ever-alert JDA even heard of "cellulosic ethanol?"

Let's face it: Post Durango, we've got way more acres of surplus cultivated pine forests than speculators will ever snap up, much less actually develop -especially post impact fees. Why not pursue a cellulosic ethanol plant? http://savannahnow.com/node/506978 http://www.rangefuels.com/home

A preview of the limp ------, leftist, wussieness one can expect of a president Obama.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/28/uk.clusters.ap/index.html

FORD: "where quality is job one???"

Let me refresh y'alls memory. When my 2007 Ford E-250 van had about 5,230 miles on it, I took it in to Lilliston Ford in Kingsland for the 5,000 mile "check up" and oil change. I also noted that it had a check engine light burning. Lilliston changed the oil, rotated the tires, and diagnosed the problem as a bad EGR valve which they did not have in stock. They got it overnight and installed it the next day. When I drove out of the dealership, the check engine light was off. I drove straight home and parked it. The next morning, I cranked it and the check engine light came back on. I took it back. Diagnosis: bad catalytic converter - at just over 5,000 miles?????????? They ordered one. I drove it down there yesterday afternoon and left it over night so that it would be cool in the morning. Well, about 30 minutes ago, Dan, the service manager, called. The good news is that they put the new catalytic converter on. The bad news is that the light was still on. The even worse news is that further diagnostics revealed that the reason the catalytic converter went bad is that the computer has gone bad and was causing raw gas to be dumped into the exhaust system and burning up the catalytic converter. Now I understand why the thing has been eating me alive on gasoline, but has exceptional pick-up. Hell, I've been on afterburner since I got it! Just another example of why I've heretofore owned foreign cars for the last 40 years. If you have to have a Ford (as I had no choice in what brand the insurer bought for me), Lilliston seems an okay dealership so far. Would I buy a Ford on my own - at least an E-250? I don't think so. Has anyone else out there ever had similar problems with Ford E or F series vans and trucks?

Low down, dirty, lying, Thuggie vermin at it again!

Kingsland, GA Gregory support ad removed from Moreno's webblog Posted in the Kingsland Forum Comments Showing posts 1 - 1 of 1 Insider Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #1 31 min ago Investigation reveals it is no longer there. Has support gone underground? Maybe this site might give Gregory the wrong image. Showing posts 1 - 1 of 1 This is the dirty trickster fool's latest effort after trying to convince the gullible that Tommy Gregory had PAID me to announce his endoresement by a union on base. The announcement is, of course, right where it has always been. For a good laugh, scroll to the bottom of this page, then click on "Older Posts." When the next screen comes up, scroll down a ways and you'll see it. Get a load of what the ignorant ass based his claim of it being a "paid ad" upon! Truly, such fools are sociopathic BTW's rightful prey. Update: As you can see, folks are no longer buying lying Thuggie crap like they used to! http://www.topix.com/forum/city/kingsland-ga/TF0HBQILID5JCV4T7

Big Thug's Busy Saturday

Turns out Saturday was also the day that BTW needed to remind all of his black beneficiaries that once again, it was time to call in his chits for all of that drug fund money he has spread around to the black churches over the last four years. To that end, he arranged for one black citizen, a Mr. Roy Butler, a former Gilman employee, to host a supposedly spontaneous get together of all-black devotees of BTW for lunch at Mr. Butler's home on Hwy 259. Well, it seems that one of Mr. Butler's invitees, apparently mistaking the pro-BTW affair for an "all candidates" luncheon, invited Rich Gamble, who showed. The way I hear it, when "ol' Bill Smith" realized that Rich Gamble was in the crowd, he lit out of there like a scalded hog. No word yet on where the money for the luncheon came from.

Slick's secret Saturday strategy session at Sneaky Pete's place.

Well, it looks like the Cisco manse is still way too radioactive for Big Thug Willie's needs. Not a problem. Date: Saturday, 5/24/08 Time: 1800 HRS. Location: Sneaky Pete Mercer's place. Event: A BTW called meeting of all surviving upper-echelon Thuggies still employed at CCSO. Attendees: Approx 40, including spouses and/or significant others. Charlie Easterling, of course. Chuckie and Chris, most of the ol' BTW mill buddies - the crowd you would expect. Purpose: For Big Thug Willie to give his top Thuggie lackeys their orders as to what they would be required to do in the way of campaigning for him if they wanted to keep their jobs. Alicia was assigned the task of collecting all attending employees' cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses so that they could be turned over to BTW's campaign manager. Big Thug told the group that they should not be concerned about the actions of Steve Berry. BTW said it was now clearly a personal war between him and Berry and that he would "personally take care of Berry." My mole did not report that Big Thug warned them about not soliciting support while on the clock. Does anyone know for sure how Georgia law reads on Big Thug Willie coercing his Thuggie employees to campaign for his re-election? (Not that BTW would not just wipe his sorry ass on that law, too, but I was just curious.)

GA CRCT Disaster: What happened?

CRCT = "Criterion Referenced Competency Test" http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052108/geo_281108356.shtml http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052508/geo_282629443.shtml Does anyone local have any theories as to what went wrong? Teachers? Parents, what are you hearing from your kids? By the way, if your curiosity is sufficiently piqued to want to read the actual standards for middle shool social studies and math, respectively (or any subject in any grade, for that matter), here is the GA DOE site: http://www.georgiastandards.org/

"Sex and the sissy."

Peggy pegs Hillary: http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

Sunday Funnies, Volume 13

Another one from Uncle Harry in Adelaide, Australia: Dear Diary, For my 52nd birthday this year, my wife (my loving dearest) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since playing on my high school tennis team 38 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My wife seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress .. MONDAY: Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. She took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. She was alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to her in her Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, all though my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!! TUESDAY: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air-- then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me. WEDNESDAY: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too. THURSDAY: Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes. Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. She sent Lars to find me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank. FRIDAY: I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it. Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the M----- f----- barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director? SATURDAY: Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel. SUNDAY: I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my wife (the sadistic hag) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal, colonoscopy or a vasectomy.

Ciscos sold again!

My informant tells me that he was told today by one of the most recent "Indian" owners that they have just recently sold it to another group of "Indians." Word is that the stations will soon be back into full operation, fuel and all.

Big Thug Willie tests the waters - finds them cold.

Last night, there was a meeting of the local Georgia Bulldogs Club. One of the Georgia coaches was the featured speaker. BTW slinked in. My eyewitness says everyone present gave him the cold shoulder. After standing around by himself for a while, he slinked on back out of the back door before the speaker was done.

Local Republicans to host candidates' fora.

Original Message ----- From: Marcie L. Parker To: Marcie L. Parker Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2008 10:24 AM Subject: Upcoming Candidates Forum Dear Republican Friends, Qualifying for all Republican Candidates was concluded on May 2 for those running in the July 15, 2008 Primary Election. As such, the Republican Party of Camden County will be sponsoring two candidate forums for the republican candidates. Both forums will be held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in St. Marys. Committee member Dr. James Burnham will be in charge of both events. On June 3, 2008 there will be a forum for the Tax Commissioners, the Sheriff, and the State Senate. The individuals qualified for those offices are: Sheriff William Smith, Incumbent Tommy Gregory Tax Commissioner Beth Soles, Incumbent Patricia Smith State Senate Jeff Chapman, Incumbent Terry Carter On June 24, 2008 there will be a forum for the County Commissioners. The individuals qualified for those offices are: County Commissioner – District 1 Craig Black Willis Keene Jr. Barbara Rudolph King County Commissioner – District 3 Steve Berry, Incumbent Carla Carper County Commissioner – District 5 David Rainer, Incumbent Harry Callahan If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at marciep@tds.net or 467-1311. We hope that you will all be able to attend. Sincerely, Marcie Parker Chairman Camden County Republican Party

Oh, please!

Is there something in the courthouse square water supply? Penny Amarosa Woodard to file discrimination suit against Camden County. Y'all remember Ms. Woodard, the former county HR manager, turned make believe county manager for two years while King David Reigner and the Terrible Troika actually ran the county as they saw fit. Apparently, she's claiming that the two years of place holding that she did actually qualified her to be a county manager. The commission's failure to anoint her so - sans application - is apparently proof positive of racial discrimination. Riiihgt! Good luck with that. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052208/geo_281498188.shtml Update, 5/23/08 @1330 HRS. According to today's T&G, Ms. Woodard is also suing both the T&G and the GTU for libel. Lawdy, Miss Lawdy! I 'spect I'll be next.

Camden cuts sheriff's budget.

$376,000 reduction diverted to Fire & Rescue to hire more firemen. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052108/geo_281103312.shtml

Walker fired, but.....

Unofficially - AND, he's STILL ON THE PAYROLL! http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052108/geo_281103300.shtml

This just in...

First step taken in Walker decertification process! The very same source who gave me the tip on Walker's firing has just now informed me that "a sworn officer" working for BTW has filed a formal, written request with the P.O.S.T board for a formal decertification hearing on Walker ASAP. My informant did not give me the name of the officer and I surely did not ask. Whether the officer is a decent one acting on conscience or a political operative for BTW remains to be seen. Stay tuned. Update: 1800 HRS. Gordon Jackson has just today returned from a well deserved vacation. Look for a story on the Walker firing in tomorrow's GTU!

This just in....

Walker firing confirmed! Walker was asked to resign mid-week. He refused. BTW waited until late Friday, in consideration of news cycle, then fired him. Walker came in this morning and cleaned out his desk. He is gone. Oh, really? Skepticle Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #12 Yesterday I know your not going to like this but I think Jay's news should stay there on his site until it can be validated. I think Gordon Jackson would be all over that if it were true. I suspect he and Jay converse regularly. Black Copters and Rumors This blog is dedicated to the baseless rumors and theories published by Julian Moreno.

1920 HRS: Now comes this:

Just In Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #17 1 hr ago BiTeM wrote: heard he was terminated on Fri. Anybody else hear anything? it is true Bill fired him on friday,,,he turned his stuff in today,,,,Bill said he has been lied to by several employees, and he is going to get that office back into shape,,,,

Yo, BTW: that 500 H.P. ship has long since sailed. Poor, trusting, Billy Boop, lied to by all of those evil employees. My, my.

Tommy Gregory receives endorsement from union local.

Good morning everyone! Good news! Tommy has been officially endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 1845. Please see the below email from AFGE, Local 1845, President Mark McCabe. We really could not be more pleased and excited about this endorsement, and we wanted to share it with each of you. Please share this email with your family and friends. We are truly excited about this terrific news. Thanks so much, Jodi. ---------------------------- Gregory For Sheriff P.O. Box 109 Waverly, GA 31565 (912) 576-3905 http://www.gregoryforsheriff.com/ ---------------------------- PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT TOMMY GREGORY SHERIFF (Attention all Thuggie, lying, dirty tricksters and/or absolute morons: The above line appears on ALL communications from the Gregory campaign. It does NOT mean that I, or anyone else who reproduced this message, was PAID to do so. Are you people really that stupid?) -------- Original Message --------Subject: Re: Endorsement press releaseFrom: Marcus mizak.net> Date: Sun, May 18, 2008 10:22 amTo: Tommy Gregory tommy@gregoryforsheriff.com Greetings. My name is Mark McCabe and I have been lucky enough to be the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 1845 on the upper base for the past ten years. My local is an interesting balance of white-collar and blue-collar workers and politically we are just as diverse. As a local we do not often endorse a political candidate due to the diversity I described. We are breaking that stance in the current race for Camden County Sheriff by endorsing Tommy Gregory. A sizable portion of the people this union incorporates includes the civilians who work in the Security Department here on base. Many of these individuals have a lot of experience in several of the local police departments and we are also quite familiar with those persons who have done their duty serving in other Federal investigative agencies. With this base of knowledge we have come to understand that steady and positive leadership in any position such as Sheriff is crucial. By looking over the field of candidates we acknowledge that we are looking for someone who has a balance of experience, competency and understands their leadership role. We see this embodied in the way Tommy Gregory handles himself and clearly he desires to stay above the muck of politics and focuses on the job ahead, I ask those brothers and sisters of not just my local, but of the other local unions in the area to follow our lead and support Tommy Gregory in his bid for this office. Thank you for your time and I appreciate your joining me in this endeavor. Mark McCabe AFGE-1845 Local President St. Marys, GA

Congressman Jack Kingston's father dies.

In case any local politicos / constituents wish to express their condolences, here is a link to the obituary page in the Savannah Morning News & Evening Press, where you may leave a comment in the guest book. http://www.legacy.com/Savannah/Obituaries.asp

Sunday Funnies, Volume 12

Smile Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants. Marriage changes passion. Suddenly you're in bed with a relative. I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it. So I said "Implants?" She hit me. How come we choose from just two people to run forpresident and over fifty for Miss America? A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Wow...that was fun!" I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn't have signed up in the first place! When I was young we used to go "skinny dipping," now I just "chunky dunk." Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference. Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over? AMEN, AMEN !! Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison? Wouldn't you know it...Brain cells come and brain cells go, but FAT cells live forever. Why do I have to swear on the Bible in court when the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed outside? Bumper sticker of the year: "If you can read this, thank a teacher -and, since it's in English, thank a soldier" And remember: life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

FLASH: Ol' B.S. probably fired Sleazy Talker Walker on Friday!!

This just in from a so-far 100% reliable source: Word is that BTW fired Walker Friday afternoon! Reason? It seems that the feds, under the rules of discovery, gave Big Thugs Willie's criminal defense attorney a list of those who are scheduled to testify against him. Walker was on the list. My source has second and third hand corroboration that Walker was summoned into BTW's office. After much yelling and screaming, Walker silently left the building, head hung low. One witness reportedly heard Smith tell one of his bimbos out in the parking lot "I fired that son-of-a-bitch!" Based on this informant's past record, I would give this 99% credence at this time. Monday will tell us for sure. Note that BTW's (or Simper Fido's) letter in today's GTU (see previous post) was referring to an article published a month ago. No telling how long the GTU held the letter. Now that BTW knows that keeping him on will not prevent his testifying, his ass is naturally gone.

"Our sheriff," "Ol' Bill Smith," attempts to feed slop to both hogs AND voters.

Y'all are gonna love this - especially you former Cisco customers. BTW 's letter-to -the -editor in today's GTU: "CISCO GAS STATIONS FULL STORY UNKNOWN I am writing to object to the April 18th column written by Mark Woods. It seems that Woods decided it is time to play judge and jury and to have a little laugh at the expense of the 'good ol' boys' in Georgia. I am used to being treated with disdain by the media; it comes with the job. But jumping to conclusions and attacking Capt. Wesley Walker is going too far. Yes, he was on paid administrative leave and, yes, he is married to the daughter of Fairly Cisco. But, he was not the focus of the investigation into recent events at the Cisco gas stations. I have no idea whether he is being investigated and, if so, by whom, or what for. As far as I know, Walker has not done anything illegal. I put him on administrative leave simply because of an unverified story in the Times-Union. He is a valuable employee of the Sheriff's Department, and I intend to have him return to work. Woods is asking me to join him in this hypocrisy by making snap decisions without knowing the full story. It's easy to sit back and take cheap shots and pretend to have the moral high ground. It's far harder to be patient, to wait until the investigation runs its course and to reserve judgment until all the facts are known. But that's what I plan to do. William E. Smith Sheriff, Camden County, Ga." You know, I was just about to parse this load of crap mercilessly when it dawned on me: BTW damned surely knows that I have his number - and have had for years. What is more important is that the amoral, sociopathic, megalomaniac hear it from the lips of the voters why this letter is a transparently bogus bunch of self-serving, obfuscating, crap, line by line. So, parse away, folks.

$50 million mixed use commercial development coming to Kingsland

Have you been wondering what would go into the cleared land between Ruby Tuesday's and Sonny's Barbecue? Wonder no more: http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/05/12/daily2.html That, by the way, is the sort of thing that would make better use of the 300+ acres in St. Marys now way underutilized by the airport.

Piss-poor paper delivery.

I've been a home delivery subscriber to The Georgia Times Union for about 4 years now. On one or two occasions in the distant past, I've opened my front door to find no paper. I called the number listed in the phone book for their office on Hwy 40 in Kingsland. I left a message on their recorder as instructed. Sure enough, later that day - like after 5:00, the local distribution manager personally delivered my paper. Earlier this week - Tuesday, I think - I got no paper. I called the number about 8:00 AM and left a message. I got back from business in Brunswick around 5:00 PM: still no paper. I called and left another message and asked that they call me. To this moment, I have received neither the missing paper, not the requested call. The daily papers showed up Wednesday and yesterday, but this morning - once again - no paper. I called the local number and left a message at 8:30 in which I asked them to phone me as soon as they retrieved the message. Having received neither call nor paper by 11:30, I called the switchboard at their headquarters in Jax. In attempting to transfer me to circulation, the operator promptly cut me off. On the second try, I got some twit in delivery who promptly admonished me that I should not have called the local office, but should have called her. I pointed out to her that when you call the local number in Kingsland, you are instructed to press one and leave a message and that that had always worked before. Referring to it as "the Kingsly office" she confessed she didn't know anything about an office up here. When I suggested that she should contact that office and find out what the problem is, she copped an attitude. She then informed me that I had missed the deadline for "re-delivery" for today, but that they would try to get a copy of today's paper delivered along with tomorrow's paper. Have any of you other home delivery customers had similar problems? If so, let me know in the comments sections. I'll pass it on to friend, Gordon Jackson.

"Sheriff's actions taking toll on deputies."

From today's T&G editorial: http://www.tribune-georgian.com/articles/2008/05/16/opinion/1opinion5.16.txt I don't doubt it a bit. Hopefully, all of the decent deputies will be the first in line on July 15th to vote BTW out.

"Obesity contributes to global warming."

Oh, please! http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSL1572011320080515?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&rpc=22&sp=true Perhaps we fat folks should be forced into an all beef diet. We could eat well, lose weight, and reduce the volume of green house cow farts all at the same time. Yeah, I'll do that the day I see an anorexic Al Gore.

Report on Lilliston Ford in Kingsland

Well, I took my 2007 Ford E-250 van in to Lilliston Ford yesterday for the 5,000 mile oil change. When I called on Monday to set the appointment, the service writer said it should take about 45 minutes. It actually took 1 hour and 45 minutes, but that did not surprize me. Here's what did surprize me. They changed my oil, rotated my tires, diagnosed why my "check engine" light was burning (bad EGR valve), put 80 lbs all around in my tires, and reset my clock. Total cost: ZERO, ZIP, NADA. Ford picked up the cost 100%. They did not have an EGR valve in stock, but the service writer (Dan, I believe it was) said he would call me today when it came in. Sure enough, he did. I went back at 1:30 today. Took 'em about an hour and 15 minutes. Everyone was cheerful and courteous - none of that "warranty work" scowl I've encountered in years past at other dealers. Other than the fact that the building's AC system was designed by an idiot ( no cold air outlet in customer waiting area which is about 80 degrees), it was a pleasant experience. Oh, and by the way, Ford Motor Corporation will also pick up the tab on my 10,000 mile oil change and rotatation. After that, it's on my nickel.

Hop on over to IHOP!

I went to my GP early this morning for my blood work for my annual physical. Went fasting, of course. When they finished drawing blood, I made the comment that I sure did wish they would hurry up and open that new IHOP in Kingsland. Well, it turns out that it has been open for three weeks. I went on over there. Van accessible disabled parking right at the front door. Well trained, courteous, and efficient wait staff. Food was out in very short order. Quiet and very clean. They have some really cool screens that pull down like window shades. They are that one-way kind that does not let you see into the restaurant, but you can look out with no glare whatsoever. Nice. I had the humongus chicken fajita omelet, which I've had before at other IHOPs. A little pricey at just under $9.00, but when you have one of those for brunch, you will not even think about food until supper. Delicious and satisfying. IHOP has killer omelette's and a wide selection Try it - you'll like it!

New concealed carry law.

Here's the link to an article on the new law in today's Savannah Morning News and Evening Press. http://savannahnow.com/node/497828 I just got of the phone with Judge Martin Gillette. With the law being just passed yesterday, he has not yet received anything official from the state on it. What I was particularly curious about was the part that said you could keep your weapon in your car on any publicly accessible parking lot. Well, the parking lots of public schools and colleges are publicly accessible parking lots. Does that mean I can now carry my pistol when I go to college in Brunswick, so long as I leave it in the car? How about public school teachers - and parents, for that matter? The judge seems to think - as do I - that the prior strict prohibition of guns on campus was not only a Georgia law, but a federal law as well. Ergo, guns on school parking lots may still be verboten. The judge will let me know as soon as he gets official word. Permit holders may now carry in state parks. How about local parks? Permit holders may carry in restaurants that serve alcohol by the drink, so long as liquor sales constitute less than 50% of establishment's gross revenues. The armed patron may not imbibe, of course. Bona fide bars are still off limits. Anyone out there who knows for a certainty what the new law says vis-a-vis public school parking lots?

After 21 days of tranquility, poor, demented, Rotor Rooter falls off of the psychopharmaceutical wagon and spews his vile bile once again.

Just the usual demented rantings about me and Rick Rogers and the pathetically transparent bleatings that he cares not whether people read his sick excrement or not. He claims that there is no NPR story about Big Thug Willie in the works. I'm just making it up. The producers name is Marisa Penaloza. Here is her resposne to my e-mail to which I attached the file containing the Odious Ode to Willie Joe. "Hi Jay, thank you for sending me the song. Best, Marisa From: Jay Moreno [mailto:jaymor@tds.net] Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 3:11 PMTo: Marisa PenalozaSubject: Big Thug Willie Smith's campaign song. Ms. Penaloza, I call it "Odious Ode to Willie Joe" on my blog at: http://camdencommentary.blogspot.com/ Please let me know which program your report will be on and when it will air. Jay Moreno" A little research on the web confirms that Ms. Penaloza is a producer for the acclaimed afternoon news show on NPR called "All Things Considered." I'll let y'all know when the nonexistent program will air. Apparently, eventual involuntary commitment will be the only thing to keep the poor, demented creature on his meds.

Will terrorists slip past the sheriff's riverine forces and attack the theatre complex before July 15th?

Apparently, there is some concern. A source tells me that while the theatre complex in St. Marys is open for business, there is now a CCSO marked patrol car in the parking lot and a uniformed, armed CCSO deputy on foot patrol in the lobby. Is he on the taxpayers' payroll or the theatre's? Has there been a spate of trouble at the theatre that just happens to coincide with BTW's desperate need for good PR? Are St. Mary's officers not allowed to do this kind of work for extra income? Anyone know the story?

Hide the chef's knife! Chuckie is breakin' bad!!

Seems there was a county commission budget work session at 5:30 PM yesterday at the annex. I just had a phone call from a guy who was one of the few there. Chuckie Sears went demonic on 'em. She was showing her ass in what she thought was a real "gotcha" when she declared that it had not slipped past her eagle eyes (a Harpie eagle, no doubt) that every department except the sheriff's was scheduled for an increase. Steve Berry let her get that out of her system, then pointed out to her that she had just made a total fool of herself and wasted every one's time. It seems that Chuckie was the last to get the word that the increases in all of the other department's budgets were to cover the costs of moving those departments, lock-stock-and-barrel, into the new building when it is completed. Of course, puppet Rainer chimed in in favor of giving the sheriff way more money. At some point, Berry heatedly told Chuckie that he would not allow her to vote on the sheriff's budget. At that point, Chuckie informed Chairman Rhodes that she had obtained an attorney and had liability insurance and that she would vote on the sheriff's budget, so long as it did not relate specifically to her or her husband, and that neither Steve Berry nor the chairman was going to tell her otherwise. Berry then informed Chuckie that the commissioners have an attorney, Brent Greene, and that when it came time to vote, they would seek his council and she by God would not vote. Now my observer tells me that with this being an "informal meeting" Berry had opted to show up in a casual shirt, Bermuda shorts, and flip flops. Moments after the testy exchange between Berry and Chuckie, and just before the close of the meeting, in walks St. Marys attorney, Ed Clary. Clary strode to the podium and asked Rhodes what kind of a meeting it was. A puzzled Rhodes (what's new?) said it was a budget work session. Clary than launched into a tirade against Berry for demonstrating a complete lack of respect for the solemnity of the occassion and majesty of the county commission, not to mention a complete lack of respect for the electorate, for having dressed as previously described. At this point, no one knows whether Clary is the attorney representing Chuckie or is campaigning for Carla Carper or working for Sandy Feller on behalf of Carla Carper or is just pissed because he does not have the legs for Bermuda shorts. Unfortunately, my "reporter" did not see anyone (i.e., T.V. Camden)video taping. I would be surprised if BTW did not have an operative there with a least a tape recorder, though. Let's hope the T&G had a reporter there. You know, I had figured that once BTW's successor fires Chuckie and eliminates her conflict of interest, we could just put up with her for one more year, then drive a stake through her political future and be done with it. Now I'm beginning to wonder if after knocking out BTW, we might not need to recall Chuckie ASAP.

NPR update

I just heard from one of the individuals who was interviewed by the NPR team when they were in town last week. It turns out that their interest in Smith stems from his being a prime exemplar of the kind of abuses they are going to expose in a multi-state story examining money laundering, the asset forfeiture program, and asset forfeiture fund abuses. The reporter in charge, Marisa Penaloza, said that she regrettted that they could not do an entire show on Smith alone, as there was vertainly enough there. She also expressed her incredulity that sheriffs such as Smith actually still existed anywhere in the U.S. NPR hopes to have the program on the air sometime in mid- June. I'll let y'all know the program, date, and time as soon as it is finalized.

What can y'all tell me?

My Ford E-250 conversion van has just turned over the 5,000 mile mark and already I've got a check engine light burning. I'll be taking it to some Ford dealer later in the week. Has anyone had any particularly bad (or good) service experiences (especially warranty work) with Lilliston Ford in Kingsland? How about the Ford dealerships in Brunswick and Fernandina, respectively? Thank You.

Sunday Funnies, Volume 11

A young ventriloquist is touring the clubs and one night he's doing a show in the Elks Lodge #2309. With his dummy on his knee, he starts going through his usual dumb blonde jokes when a blonde woman (we'll call her Charlene) in the 4th row stands on her chair and starts shouting:"I've heard enough of your stupid blonde jokes! What makes you think you can stereotype women that way? What does the color of a person's hair have to do with her worth as a human being? It's guys like you who keep women like me from being respected at work and in the community and from reaching our full potential as a person. Because you and your kind continue to perpetuate discrimination against not only blondes, but women in general, and all in the name of humor!" The embarrassed ventriloquist begins to apologize when Charlene yells, "You stay out of this, mister! I'm talking to that little shit sitting on your knee!"

Poll results

Our "polls" just closed a few minutes ago. You can still see the results to the right. Here's my take on the results. For Tax Commissioner, with 73 voting, incumbent Beth Soles got 54 % of the vote. Pat Smith was her closest competitor with 31%. It looks like a win for soles. For Clerk of Superior Court, with 72 voting, Tina Murray garnered 61% of the vote. The incumbent was already weakened by the suspicion, founded or not, that she was complicit in the stacking of the recent grand jury with arch-Thuggies. I believe she shot herself in the head when she fired Murray. I predict this one goes easily to Murray. For County Commmission, District 1, Preston Rhodes is a goner. With 60 voting, Willis Keene, Jr. garnered 41%, while Craig Brack pulled 33%. That could easily tighten up considerably between now and July 15th. Too close to call. In District 3, with 65 votes, Commissioner Berry will keep his seat with 64% of the vote. In District 5, with 68 voting, former county commissioner Harry Callahan garned 61% of the votes. It will probably tighten a little, but I predict that the anti-good ol' boy incumbent fervor, per se, coupled with his flagrant support of all things BTW will finish Rainer for good. Lastly, with 70 voting, in the sheriff's race, Tommy Gregory pulled in 78% vs. BTW's paltry 21 %. I'm a little reluctant to say this for fear that some will not get to the polls or get their butts registered and to the polls due to overconfidence. However, assuming every body stays fired up, and shows up, I really do think that we will finally rid ourselves of Big Thug Willie for good on July 15th. Update: 5/10 @ 1641 HRS: Thanks to the reader who reminded me that it turns out that the race for county coroner is also contested. St. Marys attorney John Meyers is challenging incumbent L.W. Bruce. I have just posted a poll for that race (top right).

Does residential growth alone bring right mix of jobs to Camden?

T&G copy editor Emily Goodson asks this question in a good piece on the op-ed page of today's T&G. No link available - you'll have to spend 50 cents. Clearly, the answer is no. She makes some excellent points about how attractive we should be, especially to businesses who have a need for ready access to an international airport, two international seaports, a major rail hub and a major city, all in an attractive, relatively crimeless county. Apparently, the JDA is either unaware of those same assets or just really does not give a damn, as they well realize that the good ol' boy Brahmins really DO NOT WANT such busineses to come here and raise the competition for labor. If I were running for the county commission as a challenger, I would damned surely be talking about some personnel changes and major course corrections at the JDA. P.S., There is only one day left to vote in the polls on the right margin. I note that as of now, the only incumbent not in deep trouble is Steve Berry, who appears to be headed for re-election. That sounds right to me.

Yeah, but the 500 H.P. SS Willie speeds on!

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080509/a_gas_boats09.art.htm

All in the family!

This from TOPIX Kingsland: "ABC Jacksonville, FL Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #7 2 hrs ago Larry wrote: That is EXACTLY what "at will employment" is all about. Do you not see the conflict of interest in her working there could bring about? The only conflict would have been with Susan Waldon who clearly is incapable of checking her personal feelings at the door. Obviously it is beyond her control to conduct herself in a professional manner when doing the people's business. That in and of itself gives me pause in re-electing her to that position. As for other conflicts of interests, why not look at the fact that she just hired her sister to replace Ms. Murray. You don't get a bigger conflict of interest than a Department Head hiring a relative to work in a position where she answers directly to her. That makes for very bad business. I don't care where you work. Hmmmmm Brunswick, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #8 18 min ago Her nephew works there too. He was hired after Jo Frances Connoly was fired." And y'all were worried about the creeping tentacles of the Danny Daniels clan! If only Hercules could divert the Satilla River through the courthouse square and wash the whole damned mess clean. Like I've said before, that provision that says you have to have lived in Camden for a year to run for any office should be changed to read "less than a year." Note to Thuggies: Google "Augean stables."

"Sheriff's books to be available"

That's the cut-line in a story on the front page of today's GTU. Sorry, no link. I could not find it in the on-line version. Here's the gist of it. Yesterday, at a Camden County Commission budget workshop, Jail Administrator Jim Proctor told the CCC that he was willing (by which he means BTW has finaly been forced to - or has deemed it a good political move) to let the commissioners review all records of all CCSO expenditures of tax-payer-provided funding for the last fiscal year. Proctor maintanined that the proposed budget of $6.3 million for the next fiscal year is "below an operational level." Believe it or not, Sleazy Talker Walker actually had the gaul to not only address the Camden County Commission on the budget, but actually scolded commissioners Rhodes and Zell. Clueless twit Chuckie Sears chimed in with "You still need to take care of the employees. You have never seen morale so low at the sheriff's department." Puppet Rainer, appealing to his Thuggie base, had this to say: after noting that the funding debate is a matter of public safety, he urged commissioners to "set aside petty issues of personalities," then went on to say "It's going on like a broke (he meant broken) record. Everybody ought to look at this for the betterment of Camden County." Yeah, that kind of puke-inducing, platitudinous, crap sure sounds like a strategy. Big Thug Willie was, of course, not there. He probably had a more pressing engagement, like servicing a bimbo or attending a birthday party.

"Rating?" What "rating?"

Folks, I just noticed that a "rating' has appeared at the bottom left corner of all of my posts. It's a surprise to me. I'm guessing that Blogspot has just added this feature to all of their blogs. (Wrong! I just got back from checking Rick's blog and a couple of others that are hosted by Blogspot. They do not have this feature. Weird. I know that I did not put it on there.) Apparently, to register a rating, you go to the right hand set of stars, choose the number of stars you rate it, then click to record your rating. This should be interesting. Of course, Thuggies will immediately screw it up. Update, 5/8 @ 0823 HRS. I just noticed that this morning, the whole rating thing has completely disappeared. I had absolutely nothing to do with either its appearance or subsequent disappearance. Weird.

Cisco death rattle.

Not Fairley (yet), but the Cisco 1 & 2 locations. Without the gas revenues, it appears they've been unable to pay their bills to the various franchisors for food from their commissaries, as required in their franchise contracts. They have reportedly been reduced to taking cash in hand from the registers and making runs to buy food retail at Walmart. Your Long John Silver's fish might well be "Great Value" store brand pollock. There are tales of attempts at pizza dough with flour and water. Look for franchisors to yank franchises and demand that signage come down any day now. Bankruptcy will no doubt soon follow. Honest operators will no doubt line up to buy the locations which made Cisco's the largest - by volume of fuel sold - independently owned fuel retailer in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. That's right - the fools could have made a killing LEGALLY.

Airport referendum to be on July 15th ballot.

According to today's T&G, Judge Gillette has agreed to requests from both Democrat and Republican Parties to place a non-binding referendum on the ballot. The question will be whether or not to move the airport, provided that it can be done at no cost to the taxpayers of St. Marys. Voters county-wide will be able to vote on the referendum. However, it will be possible to track which votes came from St. Marys precincts. In the event that the vote turns out in favor of the move, I would anticipate seeing a BINDING referendum on the move placed onto the November ballot. According to my recent micro-poll (scroll down right edge), only 35 % of respondents wanted the airport left as is. The remainder wanted it sold, in one way or another.

Another record breaking day!

On Monday, this blog broke the 300 hit barrier with 323 hits from 120 different people. Yesterday, y'all did it again: 340 hits from 131 people. Many thanks to those of you who have obviously been spreading the word. Keep it up! (Oh, by the way, that Thuggie blog, "Black 'Copters and Rumors," had 36 hits from 21 people yesterday - and that was a good day!)

So..how DID NPR pick up on the Smith stench?

Well, it turns out that their state affiliate, Georgia Public Radio, did a story on Smith a while back. Apparently, that story caught their attention and convinced them that it might be worth a more fulsome investigation and national exposure. To hear that earlier GPR broadcast, click on this link: http://www.gpb.org/radio Now, look in the large grayish box to the right side of the page. Look about mid way down the list of available broadcasts. Find and click on "Orlando Montoya - AP AWard for Best Investigative Reports - Camden County Sheriff." You will hear the reporter plus comments from Jim Stein, Steve Berry, Chuckie Sears, Mary Ann Semans, et al. I will let y'all know when the national story that NPR is working on now will be broadcast just as soon as I find out.

NUCLEAR FLASH: The Bill Smith stench is about to assault the nation's nostrils!

This just in from a 100% reliable source: NPR - National Public Radio - is in Camden TODAY! They were in Woodbine earlier and have now spread out to other parts of the county. This is not some local interest crew from Peach State Public Radio. Oh no, these are the guys from the national network - the guys who produce and air such award-winning, national news programs as "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," with listenership numbering in the TENS OF MILLIONS all over the country and on Armed Forces Radio. Thank you so much, Big Thug Willie! Can "60 Minutes" and/or "20/20" be far behind? By the way, my impeccable source tells me that the NPR people have stated that this is one of the most flagrant and egregious cases of public corruption they've seen in years.

Oh, and don't you know the rest of the country will have some good laughs at Camden's expense when they play the "Odious Ode to Willie Joe" - Big Thug's campaign song!

Thanks again, Big Thug Willie!

Thanks, Thuggies!

1656 HRS: Just heard back from my source. He is, at this very moment, sending the audio file of BTW's theme song to NPR!

Need a good laugh?

How many of these objectives has BTW's CCSO actually met? Recalling prime examples of contradictory actions and events for most of them is child's play. http://www.camdensheriff.org/sheriffs_office/mission_statement.cfm

Fair warning!

The clock is ticking! The last day to register to be able to vote in the July 15th primary is June 16th. You may register with the registrar's office in Woodbine, or with your city's clerk, or when you go to obtain or renew your driver's license. If you are not sure whether you were registered the last time you renewed your license, you may call the registrar's office at 576-3245. They will be glad to look it up for you. All you will need in the way of an ID to register is your current driver's license, provided that all of the address information is correct and current. If you have a license, but he address is not current, you need to bring something like an electric bill with your correct current address on it. If you do not have a driver's license, you will need a state issued ID (available at driver's license offices for a very small fee), or a birth certificate and a current utility bill, as above. It is a very short, sweet, and simple process. A few days after you register, you will receive your new voter registration card in the mail. It will tell you which district(s) you are in and precisely where to go to vote. The touch screen voting machines are very user friendly. If you need assistance, the poll workers will have an unofficial one set up in order to show you how to do it, if need be. If transportation to the polls is a problem, contact the PSA about transportation to and from the polling place for just $6.00, or, contact a candidate you plan to vote for, or call the registrar and request an absentee ballot. In short, there is no excuse for your not voting in what will probably be the single-most pivotal election in Camden County history.

Observations...

Yesterday set a new blog record with 323 "page views" or "hits." If memory serves, the previous record was 264. In our limited poll (on the right margin), it seems that only two of the several incumbents are faring well. Have you "voted" yet? P.S., Yesterday, the "Black 'Copters and Rumors" blog - the one dedicated to the proposition that I am nuts and a liar and should not be taken seriously - had a total of 34 hits.

Federal Grand Jury investigation of Big Thug Willie continues.

A reliable source has confirmed this afternoon that the Federal Grand Jury in Savannah is still very much in session and continuing to actively investigate BTW's activities. They are still actively calling witnesses via their subpoena power. Numerous locals have been called and more are expected. GBI agents on the case have been called back to testify multiple times. Encouraging as this is, let's take no chances. If you are not already registered to vote him out on July 15th, what in the world are you waiting for? Don't forget, even if you plan to vote for Rich Gamble in November, you can still help drive a stake through BTW's evil heart on July 15th. Be there!

Big Thug Willie sighting.

This from one of my maritime lookouts. At 1030 HRS this past Saturday morning, BTW was sighted piloting the same, unmarked, county owned boat (no doubt burning county gas) attempting to dock the boat himself at the Rockefeller dock on Cumberland Island. After a couple of botched attempts, BTW came in a little hot and rammed the dock. Probably snockered. After he got it tied off at the bow, he threw his hands up in disgust and got out of the boat, leaving his as yet unidentified female companion in the boat while he stomped off toward the mansion. There were no other passengers on the boat. All of this was observed from my lookout's boat, through binoculars. Old Yetti Head was, of course, easy to identify. The female was not. I guess by the time the double homicide broke, he was already back in Charleston.

Communique from Tommy Gregory's paid campaign consultant.

Mr. Moreno, Jason Harvey here. I work for Tommy Gregory and am responding to your postre: candidate position statements. You mentioned you would post info from candidates if they sent it to you. Here is a link to Tommy's positions. http://gregoryforsheriff.com/issues/ If you could post this link to inform the public where Tommy stands, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, JDH------------------------------------------------- Jason D. HarveyPolitiCorp LLC 609 East 40th Street Savannah, Georgia U.S.A. 31401

FLASH: Double homicide in Camden, but where in the world is Willie?

This just in from my main mole: Just last night,there was an apparent double homicide in Mush Bluff. Early reports indicate that one Tye Watkins may have killed both of his parents in their home, possibly shooting his father 3 times and his mother twice. Where is Big Thug Willie? Hiding out in Charleston, of course. When finally reached in Charleston by his crack staff, did he rush back down to Camden County? Of course not: he told his top Thuggies to immediately turn this pre-July primary hot potato over to the GBI! Clearly his personal, political considerations took precedence over doing the job he is paid to do. Does anyone have a clue as to why the GBI would be called in on this particular apparent domestic homicide? UPDATE: 1615 HRS: It's now on the Channel 4 website: http://www.news4jax.com/news4georgia/16160730/detail.html It is still not obvious to me why they needed the GBI? After all, we do have the famous Inspector Bundy. Given what he can do with a cold case, this should have been a snap. Take a look at our low mileage, Crime Scene Unit van at top of post.

Given that it has probably only been used to haul steaks, grouper and tiki torches to a barbecue or two, it should still have a pretty good resale value. No sense continuing to eat the depreciation, insurance and fuel on it if we are going to turn every case over to the GBI, even when the perp turns himself in with a full confession.

Update; 05/06/08 @0808 HRS:

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/050608/geo_275734890.shtml

Coastal Georgia Community College gets nod to become 4 year college!

That's great news for this area. As it stands now, CGCC, per se, can only confer associate degrees which will transfer to any senior college in the Georgia public university system. To obtain a bachelor's degree, students must either transfer to a college out of the area, or, for a limited selection of degrees, may obtain their bachelor's degree from either Armstrong Atlantic State University ( my alma mater) or Georgia Southern University, right there on the CGCC campus, via the "Brunswick Center," as it is called. There are also a limited number of masters programs available via the Brunswick Center's two co-operating universities. My guess is that the master's programs will continue to be available, as well, perhaps, as some bachelors' programs which the new, 4 year CGCC (which willl no doubt be re-named) will not immediately offer. Hopefully, there will come a day when local students need go no farther than the Camden satellite campus to complete some bachelor programs. Click on post title for link to GTU story.

Sunday Funnies, Volume 10

Another Australian import.... Be afraid.... THEY WALK AMONG US! * Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal. It looked too good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50." The next day someone stole it. Caution.. They Walk Among Us!~~~~~~~~~One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when someone shouted...."Look at that dead bird!" Someone looked up at the sky and said..."where???" They Walk Among Us!!~~~~~~~~While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the north?" When my brother explained that the sun rises in the east, and has for sometime, she shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff." They Walk Among Us!!~~~~~~~I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I got a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, "The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific time?" Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, "Uh, Pacific". They Walk Among Us!!!~~~~~~~~My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the shore. She drove down in a convertible, but, "didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving". They Walk Among Us!!!!~~~~~~~My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car it's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk. They Walk Among Us!!!!!~~~~~~~~My friends and I were on a beer run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount. (maybe I should have bought 10 cases) They Walk Among Us!!!!!!~~~~~~~I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me, "has your plane arrived yet?"... They Walk Among Us!!!!!!~~~~~~~While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding. "Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces". Yep, they walk among us AND they reproduce!

Willis Keen, Jr. Who / what is he?

Willis Keene, Jr. has declared, along with two other challengers, to run against Preston Rhodes (vote dilution which will likely put Rhodes back into office - sad to say). 15:02 HRS. Correction. What was I thinking? Sandy Feller just called to tout merits of Carper candidacy against nemisis, Steve Berry. In the course of the conversation, he pointed out that in this race, Rhodes is the only Democrat. Ergo, in my opinion, he will be defeated in November by winner of Republican primary I note that there is a Dr. Willis Keene (click on post title). Is this him, or his son? If son, what does son do? Or is this perhaps a "Keene Exterminating" Keene? Qualifications?

Notice to all qualified / declared Camden candidates:

Ladies and Gentlemen, If ANY of you would like to have a campaign position statement posted on this blog, I will be happy to oblige. Just e-mail it to me at jaymor@tds.net. You have my word that it will be posted on the blog in its unabridged, unedited entirety. Readers and I will, of course, be able to post reactions - positve or negative - in the "comments" area.

Holy mackeral, dere, Sapphire! Final list of candidates for July primary.

Qualifying closed at noon today. There are some surprises. County Commissioner, District 1: Preston Rhodes (I) Craig Brack Willis Keene, Jr. Barbara R. King County Commissioner, District 3: Steve Berry (I) Carla Carper County Commissioner, District 5: David Rainer (I) Harry Callahan County Tax Commissioner: Beth Soles (I) Kelvin Blue Pat Smith Clerk of Superior Court: Susan Waldron (I) Tina Murray Denise Hampton Taylor County Coroner: L.W. Bruce (I) County Surveyor: No qualifiers. Camden County Sheriff: William E. Smith (I) Tommy Gregory There is definitely incumbent blood in the water!

Guess who owns the BTW, hand-painted, campaign truck?

I just stumbled across this over on TOPIX Kingsland when someone brought it back up to the top. It didn't register the first time it was posted because I had then never seen the truck. "John W Kingsland, GA Reply » |Report Abuse |Judge it! |#68 Feb 24, 2008 The only dispatcher who said that is Capt. Gail Braswell who own the painted “Vote for Bill Smith Sheriff” truck parked in St. Mary’s right now. By the way before last election (2004) what was Gail's job description and title and after painting her truck vote for Bill Smith Sheriff she now runs the 911 center. Things that make you go hmmm... and not she is not near the most qualified one to run the 911 center..... It's your safety people vote accordingly. Clean the Slate in 2008!" So, we see that there obviously is no written proscription at the CCSO prohibiting their employees from campaigning for BTW - as there clearly should be. Can there be any doubt that the operative, unwritten rule is "God help you if you don't!"?

Carla Carper web search.

Here's a brief bio on Steve Berry's challenger, Carla Carper (click on post title, above). Anyone know who put her up to it?

All three county commissioners challenged.

As of the T&G's deadline yesterday, all three commissioners have at least one challenger (qualifying does not close until this afternoon). In District 3, Steve Berry is challenged by Republican Carla Carper. Does anyone know for sure if she is a BTW recruit, as rumored? In District 1, if I'm not mistaken (T&G says 1 is Rainer), Chairman Preston Rhodes is challenged by Craig Brack, late of the JDA. In District 5 (?), David Rainer is challenged by Republican Harry Callahan. Dirty Harry (just kidding)? Anyone know anything about Mr. Callahan. If he's not the anti-Christ, I do believe he is a viable alternative to Rainer. In the race for Clerk of Superior Court, incumbent Susan Waldron will face her VERY recently terminated former employee, Tina Murray. Tax Commissioner Beth Soles has only one challenger (so far), Kelvin Blue. Coroner L.W. Bruce has qualifed and has no challengers, yet. No one is interested in being the county surveyor, apparently.

Would you believe that Thug actually called a press conference yesterday to announce his bogus ethics charge?

Come on, people, let's stuff a sock into this fool's mouth come July! Say, Thug, how about the legality / ethics of conducting a political campaign press conference inside of the CCSO substation? Yeah, I know, Scumbag; "No comment." Click on post title for link to T&G story.

The latest...

This just in from one of my main moles: Walker is no longer hiding out at the sub-station. Turns out all three of the BTW approved bail bondsmen, Luke Daniels (close friend of Walker's father-in-law, Fairley Cisco), Okie Armentrout, and Kippy Mainor (three different companies) were all raising hell - especially Daniels - to get Walker back to his old desk in Woodbine and old duties. It seems that one of Walker's main functions is to act as laison and bird dog for the bail bondsmen. It turns out that K-Bay is, in fact, running the ENTIRE Big Thug Willie campaign theme song several times daily as a paid political ad. I'm told that at the end of the song, you hear the voice of Big Thug himself saying that he has apporoved the song and that its broadcast was paid for by the "Committee to Re-elect Bill Smith." Someone ought to write a counter-Thug parody.

Clerk of Superior Court promptly fires declared opponent.

Another "benefit" of at-will employment. But Walker still has a job? Go figure. Click on post title for link

"In GOB they trust, or do they?" by Mark Woods

Congrats to Rick Rogers for Wood's mention of his hilarious Jib-Jab luau cartoon, starring Smith and Walker. You know, not only is there material a-plenty for a best selling book here in Camden, but a killer movie made from the book. If they shot on location, the extras could probably make more moeny than has ever been paid out in salaries for which our JDA was ACTUALLY responsible. Click on post title for link to GTU article. 10:37: OMG, I didn't realize until just now that when you click on Mark Woods piece, it actually contains links to both Rick's Jib-Jab and Big Thug's campaign song, respectively. I know that the GTU is available in racks as far north as Savannah. Anyone know how far west of us they go?

Morally bankrupt Big Thug has chutzpah to file an ETHICS charge against Berry!

As Berry says, this clearly will go nowhere. My guess is that Smith should sooner sandpaper a wildcat's ass in a locked phone booth than to challenge Berry to an intellectual pissing contest. Click on post title (above) for link to GTU article.

Camden butt of joke again tomorrow, thanks to BTW!

I understand that Mark Woods column in the GTU tomorrow will be about the infamous Big Thug Willie once again. Watch for it. I'm also given to understand that the Big Thug Willie campaign song is actually being played on "local radio." I take that to be K-Bay. Insofar as I only listen to K-Bay about 10 minutes every election night, can someone confirm that for me. I've also just received confirmation that BTW did indeed, quite literally, SNEAK into the back door of the courthouse in order to qualify. Does that speak volumes, or what!?

BTW's latest hot potatoes.

My main mole just informed me that not one, but two big time local politicos - one from the Camden Democrat Party leadership and one from the Camden Republican party leadership were jailed last night on D.U.I. charges. This is at least the 2nd time for the Republican since I've lived here. And you thought Sleazy was handled with kid gloves. Word is that both will be released today on "ROR" (released on their own recognizance) , i.e., no bail. BTW obviously does not want to piss off these two pissed alligators until he's crossed the July primary swamp. Should be interesting to see if these two even show up on the police blotters in the T&G (i.e, if they are even in the data given to the T&G).

Wesley "Sleazy Talker" Walker back to "work."

After being suspended for 21 days, Sleazy is back to "work," i.e., surfing the net all day long in his hide-out at the sub-station. Remember, the P.O.S.T. regs, which I have published previously, require that any sworn officer who is suspended for 30 days must have a hearing before their revocation board - hence the return in three weeks. Click on this post's title for link to Gordon's GTU story.

Rich Gamble's web site.

Just click on the post title. 05/01 @ 1320HRS: From TOPIX Kingsland "Big John Saint Marys, GA Reply » |Report Abuse |Judge it! |#47 4 hrs ago I urge you to look at Mr. Gamble's website. in fact, I'll even give you the link: www.richforsheriff.com click on his movie intro, then come back and tell me the real name of our county. I'm still trying to figure out which county he wants to be the sheriff of." Well, it appears that Thuggie, "Big John," (as they call him down at the Klavern) has discovered that Rich Gamble may have a mild speech impediment which prevents him from clearly enunciating the word "Camden." It's about as "serious" as the difficulty that say, Jimmy Carter and "W" have with the word "nuclear." From this, we are no doubt supposed to leap to the conclusion that Gamble has a diminished mental capacity which disqualifies him to be sheriff. Utterly dispicable and disgusting, but did we really expect anything different from the BTW / Thuggie camp? P.S., At least when Rich Gamble showed up in the sports section of Wednesday's T&G holding a snook he caught in the St. Marys River, you could assume that the fish was, in fact, caught in the St. Marys River and not iced down and driven in from the Keys for a photo op. By contrast, when you read of the prop-injured sea turtle rescued by the SS Willie, didn't you immediately wonder which overpowered boat ran over the poor thing in the first place?