Monday, August 31, 2009

Who hat is dat?

Monday, 31 August. So far, the only hat in the ring in St. Marys is that of Mayor Rowland Eskridge, who has today quailfied to run for mayor again. Correction: I did not look far enough on the spread sheet from the city clerk. Also qualifying in St. Marys today: Post 4, Keith Post (not a typo - his last name is "Post"); Post 5, Jolene Haney and John Morrissey; Post 6, Gull Weaver (incumbent). If anyone knows any salient details about these folks, please enlighten the rest of us via the comments section. I'll get the Monday Kingsland and Woodbine results tomorrow. Tuesday update: Yesterday, in Kingsland, incumbents Alex Blount and Don Mounsey qualified for Posts 2 and 1, respectively. No one qualified yesterday in Woodbine. Check back after 5 for today's results. Today, Tuesday, Matthew Pettus qualified for Post 1 in Kingsland. There were no furhter qualifiers today in either St. Marys or Woodbine. Special thanks to the three city clerks for providing me with daily updates. Wednesday update: So far today (thru 1054 AM) in St. Marys, Bill Deloughy has qualified to run for mayor; Sandy Feller for Post 4. 3:45 update: In St. Marys, Sidney Howell has qualified for Post 6. 4:30 update: In St. Marys, Roger Rillo has qualified for Post 4. 5:05 update: Neither Woodbine nor Kingsland had additional qualifiers today. Thursday update: No qualifiers in St. Marys today. This e-mail from Sandy Rayson in Woodbine: Mr. Moreno: The following people qualified for the City Council Posts today for the City of Woodbine: Louise Mitchell C. C. Higginbotham, Jr. No word from Kingsland today. I'll assume no qualifiers until I can call tomorrow.

Glynn County massacre death toll climbs to eight.

GTU 12:39 PM update: http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-08-31/story/911_call_victims_of_glynn_massacre_appeared_beaten_to_death http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia

Sunday, August 30, 2009

A couple of videos that Dr. Jim Burnham thought y'all should watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G44NCvNDLfc&feature=player_embedded http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/17260182/1610997888/name/ftc-vi26.wmv

Sunday Funnies; Volume 79.

ONE Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. 'We don't have half dozen nuggets,' said the teenager at the counter. 'You don't?' I replied. 'We only have six, nine, or twelve,' was the reply. 'So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?' 'That's right.' So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets (Unbelievable but sadly true...) TWO I was checking out at the local Woolworths with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those 'dividers' that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the 'divider', looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code, she said to me, 'Do you know how much this is?' I said to her 'I've changed my mind; I don't think I'll buy that today.' She said 'OK,' and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened. THREE A woman at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM 'thingy.' (keep shuddering!!) FOUR I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. 'Do you need some help?' I asked. She replied, 'I knew I! should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?' 'Hmmm, I don't know. Do you have an alarm, too?' I asked. 'No, just this remote thingy,' she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, 'Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk....' PLEASE just lay down before you hurt yourself !!! FIVE Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, 'I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?' 'Just use paper from the photocopier', the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five 'blank' copies. Brunette, by the way!! SIX A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid had eaten ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and he should be fine, the mother says, 'I just gave him some ant killer......' Dispatcher: 'Rush him in to emergency!' Life is tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid!!!!

A fact you will NOT find in any Satilla River real estate development brochures.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-29/story/georgias_satilla_river_seen_as_poster_child_for_mercury_poisoning By the way, green eco-weenies: All the more reason to GO NUCLEAR!

Friday, August 28, 2009

The old Gull is pretty slick!

Have you seen the puff piece below the fold on the front page of today's T&G? I've watched with amusement as St. Marys incumbents have finagled their pre-election puff pieces into the pages of the T&G over the years. The usual modis operandi is to have your civics club - typically the PAC known as the St. Marys Kiwanis Club - name you their man / woman-of- the- year; most-congenial-and-photogenic-young-woman- that-all- of- the-older-male-members-have-the-hots-for, etc. Kyle Lewis was a master practitioner of the scam. I must say that Gull Weaver has come up with a new and novel excuse to get her name and some positive human interest fluff into the T&G the very week before qualifying by succcessfully selling a story on her and her husband's unique names. Of course, they had to find a third non-related person, Sarah Lee, to give it plausible deniability for being what it is. I've always wondered: do the publisher and editor just hold their noses, groan, and thank goodness they only have to entertain this sillyness once every couple of years? Maybe it is the implicit cost of later getting paid ads from these same pols.

At long last, we have a JDA executive director who is not retired on the job!

http://www.co.camden.ga.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1335

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Latest St. Marys letter to FAA, RE: airport relocation.

Click on images to enlarge.
Patience: I'm already working on getting the referenced attachments.

"Pay cut" posturing.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-26/story/motion_to_cut_pay_not_approved_0 Note how the pre-election, pay-back thrust by No Conflict Bird, who is not up for re-election, and Johnson, who is but will not run due to health, was deftly parried by Weaver and Deloughey, who are up for re-election.

City council ethics ordinance undergoing a much needed revision.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-26/story/st_marys_city_council_ethics_ordinance_under_review

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Interesting commentary and warning by a primary care physician of 22 years.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/25/harris.primary.care.doctor/index.html

Scientists find important clue in apiarian colony collapse disorder.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1918282,00.html

Has the St. Marys Airport relocation been resuscitated?

FROM TOPIX: Buzzard Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #469 Friday Aug 21 A report on airport relocation is on the agenda for the City Council meeting next Monday. sandy feller Joined: Fri Aug 7 Comments: 120 Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #470 Friday Aug 21 Buzzard wrote: A report on airport relocation is on the agenda for the City Council meeting next Monday. the on going saga of the st marys airport goes on and on. keep tuned. i can hardly wait for the next bombshell. Merlin Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #471 14 min ago Apparently there was a meeting earlier this month at Glynn County Airport. Attendees included: Deloughy, Eskridge, Shanahan, Bill Sandifer of RS&H, Carol Comer of GADOT, Scott Serrit of FAA and a representative of Sea Island Corp. Last night it was announced that: 1. The City will proceed with the relocation to Site 1 as a city sponsored airport rather than a regional airport.(The reason stated was that it would be too difficult to rewrite everything to make a it regional airport. Uh huh). 2. A letter to "Washington" has been rewritten to correct "minor errors." It would be most interesting to read that. Apparently this letter contains a requirement that the city retain ownership of old airport property and that project be completed at no cost to the city. It was said that "funding of the relocation looks good and the City estimates an income of about $5 million/year." (Excuse me while I laugh. How ludicrous this is: the money for construction, wetland mitigation, relocation of power lines (with extra easements) etc. will be needed up front. How will St. Marys service that debt until it's paid off without burdening the people? It's highly unlikely that $5 million per year will cover the cost. I also doubt whether any wetland mitigation expenses are being included in the relocation cost. This is insane! Why in God's name are they proceeding as if there was no action by SELC, no USACE 404 permits required etc etc? Is their assumption that they can build it and then apologize after the fact? This issue is like the undead...it just keeps arising and it more putrid each time. I (Jay) can not vouche for the accuracy of this reportage because I was not there. Anyone? Addendum: What is the SELC? You will want to know as this thing moves forward. Local green opponents of the new airport (and virtually anything else new) have recruited this group to block the airport. http://www.southernenvironment.org/

Financial woes cause Camden House to lose state certification to house domestic violence victims.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-25/story/camden_cant_house_family_violence_victims

Monday, August 24, 2009

Turned down? You have two more chances.

I'm getting word that denials of Camden County ad valorem tax appeals are already showing up in mailboxes. Remember, if that happens to you, your next step is to take your appeal to the Board of Equalization. If that fails, you can always take your case to superior court. Good luck!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

An oldie, but a goodie...

Y'all might want to go read the last two just added comments on this one. http://camdencommentary.blogspot.com/2009/08/bravo-zulu-and-my-sincere-thanks-to.html

Coming mega-telescopes will look back fourteen million years!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/08/18/new.generation.telescopes/index.html

Garden City, Savannah's small neighbor with NO residential property tax, builds new city hall.

That's right - Garden City has so much industrial and business property that they have no need of residential property taxes. http://savannahnow.com/node/770921

DA Stephen Kelley best in Georgia.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-23/story/brunswick_district_attorney_recognized_as_best_in_georgia

Sunday Funnies; Volume 78

SOMETHING TO OFFEND EVERYONE What is the difference between a Harley and a Hoover ? The position of the dirt bag. Why is divorce so expensive? Because it's worth it. What do you call a smart blonde? A golden retriever. What do lawyers use for birth control? Their personalities. What's the difference between a girlfriend and wife? 20 kgs. What's the difference between a boyfriend and husband? 45 minutes. What's the fastest way to a man's heart? Through his chest with a sharp knife. Why do men want to marry virgins? They can't stand criticism. Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring, and good-looking? Because those men already have boyfriends. What's the difference between a new husband and a new dog? After a year, the dog is still excited to see you. What makes men chase women they have no intention of marrying? The same urge that makes dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving. A brunette, a blonde, and a redhead are all in 9th grade. Who has the biggest boobs? The blonde, because she's 18. What's the difference between a porcupine and a police car? A porcupine has the pricks on the outside. What did the blonde say when she found out she was pregnant? 'Are you sure it's mine?' Why do men find it difficult to make eye contact? Breasts don't have eyes. What would you call it when an Italian has one arm shorter than the other? A speech impediment. What's the difference between an Australian zoo and an English zoo? An Australian zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage along with a recipe. How do you get a sweet little 80-year-old lady to say the F... Word? Get another sweet little 80-year-old lady to yell *BINGO*! What's the difference between a northern USA fairytale and a southern USA fairytale? A Northern fairytale begins 'Once upon a time...' A southern fairytale begins 'Y'all ain't gonna believe this shiit...' Why is there no Disneyland in China ? No one's tall enough to go on the good rides

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Clarification.

This was recently posted on TOPIX: Anon United States Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #1 21 hrs ago From Jay's Blog: I heard that the Commission approved the appointment of Shirley Wise (current clerk of Probate Court) to serve as an Associate Probate Judge at the meeting on Tuesday. So is this being done so that the current judge can retire and appoint Ms Wise as the new probate judge before his term is up thinking that the voters will re-elect her when it is election time since the voters do not vote out the incumbents Note that only the first paragraph, in green, is an accurate quote of what an anonymous commenter wrote on my blog. The words in red are not mine. Here is my original statement on the matter, in its entirety: Jay Moreno said... As long as she has been there as Judge Gillette's # 2, there is no doubt that she is qualified. She has always been very helpful to me whenever I've needed any info from her office. August 20, 2009 7:26 AM

Mark your calendars: I agree with Kingfish on this one!

Gene Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #2 15 hrs ago I would bet that most of the yacht club bunch has not been here long enough for their yachting butts to warm a bench. But for that bunch that would not matter. They just want us to be some thing other than what we are. This is a fishing community. Yachts are those things that pass us on the water way going to Fernandina and other places. All I see is a bunch of sail boats sitting around collecting crap on the boat bottoms. When they do leave, rarely, they are motoring. I quess the yacth club pretty much is confined to the bank. That will be a nice addition to the bait shop. What a damn joke. Where do these people come from? I bet it ain't Waverly. Oliver Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #3 15 hrs ago Next Gene will be fussing because we are from som where other than here. There are other places out side of Camden County where live is pretty good and we bring with us a part of that. We do contribute to the village and have brought with us the best of what we left. Chance always comes and there are those who just are lost in the past. The future of this community lies in the hands of the new residents. It is just the way it is. sandy feller Joined: Fri Aug 7 Comments: 114 Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #4 1 hr ago Oliver wrote: Next Gene will be fussing because we are from som where other than here. There are other places out side of Camden County where live is pretty good and we bring with us a part of that. We do contribute to the village and have brought with us the best of what we left. Chance always comes and there are those who just are lost in the past. The future of this community lies in the hands of the new residents. It is just the way it is. (Kingfish Feller) your tone does not make you any friends. think about other people's feelings once and a while.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Newly 4-year College of Coastal Georgia enrollment is up!

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-21/story/college_of_coastal_georgia_enrollment_up

Final version of the Bait Stand vs. Yacht Club RFP.

Click on images to enlarge.
The purpose for the RFP is stated at the top of page 3.

Bravo Zulu and my sincere thanks to the City of St. Marys!

Click on images to enlarge.
Above, you can follow the remarkable chain of events that was precipitated by my e-mail to the mayor, city council, and the city manager of St. Marys on August 17th regarding the lack of fully ADA -compliant disabled parking for citizens utilizing the parking at city hall. As you can see, the response was virtually immediate. On behalf of myself and all disabled St. Marians, special thanks to Councilwoman Hase who promptly e-mailed me back that she had put in a word with the city manager in favor of my suggested improvememts. Thanks also to any other elected officials who may have acted similarly outside of my knowledge. Thanks likewise to City Manger Bill Shannahan, to Planning Director Roger Weaver for his excellent work which you see here, and finally to Public Works Director Bobby Marr and his people who will actually do the work.
Addendum, 8/22. Several weeks ago, I sat next to Cookie Johnson at a city council meeting. When I ran into her outside after the meeeting, I mentioned that I had to get down to the other end of the block ( to the only van accessible space on the block, in front of the old police building - now the DDA office) before the rain started. She said that she would see about geting the problem fixed. She now tells me that she spoke to the mayor about it not long thereafter. Thanks to both for whatever role they played.

Last call: "Cash for Clunkers" ends Monday at 8:00 PM eastern.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/20/autos/cash_for_clunkers_end/index.htm?postversion=2009082016

Extraordinary generosity shown by St. Marys company in wake of cabinet shop fire.

http://www.news4jax.com/news4georgia/20465573/detail.html

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Translation....

Trip Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #19 19 hrs ago The watch dogs had their monthly meeting last night...Anyone go to it who might give us the low down? sandy feller Joined: Fri Aug 7 Comments: 106 Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #20 1 hr ago Trip wrote: The watch dogs had their monthly meeting last night...Anyone go to it who might give us the low down? i (Kingfish Feller) left at 8:00, very disappointed. they lack the focus to be a viable civic group. hopefully they will learn over time. Translation: The Camden Watchdogs have joined Feller's growing enemies list because they not only dared to not come to him seeking his self-proclaimed political acumen but are actually set to back his opponent in whichever St. Marys elected position he runs for this year.

Over two dozen teens arrested at a St. Marys party on drug and alcohol charges.

Details and the names of all except the handful who were under 17 are published in today's T&G. Hopefully, this will be an interventional and transformative wake-up call for the teens involved as well as their parents. I would not be surprized to see some parents suing the parents who were not home when the wild party in their home - apparently at the invitation of their child - was broken up by the police at 12:30 AM. Update, 8/20: GTU coverage. http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-20/story/23_camden_high_students_arrested_on_pot_and_alcohol_charges

Sorry: no report on last night's county commission meeting.

One of my cousin Ann's twin, 9 year-old sons was killed in an automobile accident Saturday. I was in Savannah last night for the visitation.

Camden EMA moves into new HQ this week.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-19/story/camden_countys_emergency_management_moving_to_new_headquarters Speaking of hurricanes and evacuations, I see the 4 laning of Colerain is moving slowly ahead. What ever happened to the four laning project on Hwy 40 between Kingsland and Folkston? I haven't been west of Kingsland in a couple of years.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

In a rare turn of events, man kills and eats pit bull.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/08/18/new.zealand.dog.bbq/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Debunking the latest idiocy to manifest itself on TOPIX, Kingsland.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/kingsland-ga/TGO5F0Q3A0P60R9VA Note that Mr. Feller, who surely knows better, being the consummate vote whore, coquettishly plays right along with the idiots. People, it's section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, published by the Internal Revenue Service, a subsidiary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, an arm of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States of America. http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html Representative Hill is a Georgia STATE rep with absolutely no influence whatsoever over the decisions of the FEDERAL IRS. Is her being on the board a political move? Sure it is. But they did not need her help to get 501(c)(3) status - enjoyed by all legitimate churches - nor do they need her influence to keep it. Does anyone know how long ago they first starting teaching civics in this county?

Monday, August 17, 2009

Yes, there is a county commission meeting tomorow.

Click on images to enlarge.
However, the agenda is not yet posted. I'll get it for you tomorrow.
8/18: Thanks to County Clerk, Katie Bishop for e-mailing the agenda to me. Their web site is not taking inputs at the moment.

The rumor:

Rick Rogers Joined: May 31, 2007 Comments: 961 Seattle, WA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #1 2 hrs ago The St. Marys City Council Will hold a meeting tonight on the adgenda: NOTHING BUT EXECUTIVE SESSION So it is not open to the public. What is being discussed, UNKNOWN. So they are holding a meeting that the public is not invited to so they can discuss something that the public does not need to know about. This is why we need to end executive session in Camden County. We have the right to know what our gov't is doing at all times!!!! The FACTS: Tonight, at 5:30 PM, in city council chambers, there will be a long-scheduled and widely publicized meeting of city council to discuss recommended changes to the zoning ordinances with Planning and Zoning. (Correction: The meeting will be in city council chambers, but will be a Planning and Zoning work session rather than a city council meeting. However, the mayor and some councilmen will likely be there to observe and give input.) The meeting is open to the public and no part of it will be in executive session. However, on Wednesday, at 6:00 PM, there will be a special called meeting of city council to discuss a pressing personnel and legal matter. That meeting will go into executive session immediately after convening, as is perfectly consistent with state law. If any vote (s) is (are) taken, the results will be announced upon returning to open session and before adjourning. Obtaining these facts necessitated only a two minute phone call to the city clerk. What a concept! sandy feller Joined: Fri Aug 7 Comments: 95 Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #2 1 hr ago Just Askin wrote: Jay now seems to see that Rick is a dumb***. I don't really care for the Wheeled Wonder but this is kinda funny. http://camdencommentary.blogspot.com/2009/08/... i don't find it funny. there is an old expression,"you don't make yourself big by making someone else small". it is totally uncalled for. Just Askin Kingsland, GA Kingfish, you crazy old vicious fart, give it up! People now see right through you. And just for the record, I think that Rick has done one helluva lot of good via his blog and will no doubt do more in the future. It is just that he is way off base and on a Quixotic wild goose chase with this ban executive session business. Kingfish, you know as well as I do how silly it is, but being the old Skippy-thighed vote whore you are, you will not say so.

A view of what Cumberland Harbor and The Georgia Keys (Laurel Island) are envisioned to be some day.

http://www.thelandings.com/

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Georgia law on disabled parking spaces.

Georgia Code - Motor Vehicles & Traffic - Title 40, Section 40-6-226 (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle in a parking place for persons with disabilities unless there is displayed on the driveŕs side of the dashboard or hung from the rearview mirror of the parked vehicle a valid unexpired parking permit for persons with disabilities or unless there is attached to the vehicle a specially designated license plate for disabled veterans or other disabled persons authorized under subsection (d) of Code Section 40-6-222 and unless such person is the person to whom such permit or license plate was issued; the person to whom such permit or license plate was issued is a passenger in the vehicle; or such vehicle is being used for the transportation of disabled passengers on behalf of the institution to which such permit was issued. (a.1) It shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle in a parking place for persons with disabilities which is designated 'For Persons With Disabled Ambulatory Assistive Devices Only' unless: (1) There is displayed on the driveŕs side of the dashboard or hung from the rearview mirror of the parked vehicle a valid unexpired parking permit for persons with disabilities or unless there is attached to the vehicle a specially designated license plate for disabled veterans or other disabled persons authorized under subsection (d) of Code Section 40-6-222; and (2) A person with disabilities who is using a wheelchair, crutches, walker, or other ambulatory assistive device is the driver of or a passenger in such vehicle. (b)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle in a parking place for persons with disabilities except for the purpose of allowing a disabled person to enter or get out of such vehicle while in such parking place. However, nothing in this paragraph shall prevent an ambulance or emergency vehicle from stopping in a parking place for persons with disabilities. (2) It shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle in a parking place for the nonambulatory as provided by a business pursuant to the provisions of Code Section 40-6-225 except for the purpose of allowing a nonambulatory permanently disabled person to enter or get out of such vehicle while in such parking place. However, nothing in this paragraph shall prevent an ambulance or emergency vehicle from stopping in a parking place for the nonambulatory. (3) It shall be unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle in any area directly connecting with a parking place for persons with disabilities which area is clearly designed and designated for access to such parking place for persons with disabilities. (I.E., the diagonally lined spaces to the right of "van accessible" disabled spaces at Walmart where perfectly able-bodied louts insist on parking their motorcycles illegally. Hello, SMPD. How about some ticketing? ) (c) It shall be unlawful for any person to obtain by fraud or counterfeit a parking permit for persons with disabilities. (c.1) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly and willfully make a false or misleading statement in an application for a parking permit for persons with disabilities or in the affidavit of a practitioner of the healing arts stating that an applicant is a disabled person. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person or institution, other than the one to whom a parking permit for persons with disabilities or specially designated license plate for the disabled person is issued, to make use of a parking permit for persons with disabilities or specially designated license plate for a disabled person unless the person to whom such permit or license plate was issued is a passenger in such vehicle. It shall be unlawful for any person to use a parking permit for persons with disabilities for any institutional vehicle other than the vehicle for which the permit has been issued. It shall be unlawful for any person to use a parking permit for persons with disabilities issued to an institution for any purpose other than to transport disabled persons. (e) No person shall park a vehicle so as to block any entrance or exit ramp used by persons with disabilities on public or private property. (Such as is done routinely by parents at the front door of the Camden Middle School, for example). (f)(1) Any person violating subsection (c) or (c.1) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (2) Any person violating subsection (a), (a.1), (b), (d), or (e) of this Code section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100.00 and not more than $500.00. (SMPD: Have you EVER issued one?) (g) In addition to the penalties provided for in subsection (f) of this Code section, any vehicle which is illegally parked in a parking place for persons with disabilities which is marked by a sign bearing the words 'Tow-Away Zone' as described in paragraph (3) of Code Section 40-6-221 on public or private property may be towed away or caused to be towed away by a proper law enforcement agency or the official security agency of said property at the expense of the owner of the vehicle or, if the vehicle is leased or rented, at the expense of the person responsible for payment on the lease or rental agreement. (h) A property owner who is required to provide parking places for persons with disabilities shall designate each such place with a sign meeting the applicable requirements specified therefor by paragraph (3) of Code Section 40-6-221 and upon failure so to designate each such parking place for persons with disabilities shall be subject to a fine of $150.00 for each place which is not so designated; provided, however, that the fine will be waived if the required designation is made within 14 days from the date of citation. If that property owner fails or refuses to designate properly the parking places for persons with disabilities within such 14 days, the property owner shall, on the fifteenth day after receiving the citation, be subject to the $150.00 fine for each place and an additional $5.00 fine for each place for each day that the owner fails to comply with provisions of this subsection until the places are properly designated. All fines assessed under this subsection shall be paid into the treasury of the city or county issuing the citation against the owner. (The Mill restaurant is in flagrant violation of this one. See if you can spot it. Hint. It's hidden underneath a car at the NW corner of the building. That the owner does not give a damn is self evident, but how about y'all, mayor and council - and building inspector?) And while I have your attention, mayor and council, take a look at the city hall disabled parking situation. Mr. Mayor, the space adjacent to your space out back is too narrow. Now look out front. I have to park a block away down in front of the DDA building. Morever, the couple of spaces in front of city hall are no where near ADA compliant. They are way too narrow with no way for folks with walkers and wheelchairs to get in and out. How about one van accessible space and two regular ones, done right, before the election?

The nose of the Islamic camel is well under the UK's tent!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/6034706/Swimmers-are-told-to-wear-burkinis.html

Swine flu vaccine may cause Guillain-Barre syndrome.

GBS is what put me in a wheelchair, though mine was from the other primary cause - a food-borne campylobacter jejuni intestinal infection. Note: there is one egregious error in the article. GBS is not a "brain disease." It only attacks the peripheral nervous system, not the central nervous system ( brain and spinal chord). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206807/Swine-flu-jab-link-killer-nerve-disease-Leaked-letter-reveals-concern-neurologists-25-deaths-America.html

Sunday Funnies; Volume 77

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. 'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.' 'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.' A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?' Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation. The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because: 1.. No one but their creator understands their internal logic; 2 The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else; 3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and 4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it. (THIS GETS BETTER!) The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el ordenador'), because: 1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on; 2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves; 3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and 4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.. The women won.

College of Coastal Georgia begins first term as a four-year institution tomorrow.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-16/story/college_of_coastal_georgia_embarks_on_four_year_program_monday Here's a link to their first 4-year catalogue. http://www.ccga.edu/media/09_10CCGCatalog.pdf Starting spring semester, when, as a 62 year-old Georgian, I'll be eligible for free tuition, I'm going to go back and either knock out a quick BBA or take the minimal preparatory courses I'll need for admission to an MPA program.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Cojack has dutifully surrendered his testicles to the State of Georgia.

Yes, it's true: when a dog is adopted from a shelter in Georgia, the adopter must sign a form acknowledging that Georgia law requires that the dog be spayed or neutered within 60 days. Cojack gave up his this morning, on his 15th day as an adoptee, over at Integrity Animal Hospital on Highway 17 in Kingsland. I picked him up about an hour ago. After wolfing down a treat of about 4 slices of thick bologna (he's been NPO since 2100 HRS last night) he is taking a nap right beside my wheelchair as I'm typing this. The surgery and checkup both went well but there was a near disaster when I picked him up. My housekeeper, Sarah, arrived this morning at her usual 0830 HRS. We left immediately as his appointment was at 0900. Well, knowing that I would be by myself when I went to get him this afternoon, we swung by Walmart on the way home. Given the way I have to get in and out of my van, it would be damned cumbersome and even possibly dangerous for the dog for me to try to put him on the leash and either get him up into my lap or on the ramp itself. The obvious solution - or so I thought - was to get a kennel before this afternoon. We found one in the pet department at Walmart. It looked the right size and said it was for medium sized dogs up to 30 lbs. I learned this afternoon that Cojack weighs 20.5 lbs. The thing cost $37 and change, which I figured was about half what one would cost at the high-mark up pet store. The thing was heavy gauge, rigid plastic. It had a clam shell design with a top and a bottom half. When disassembled, one fit inside the other for easy storage. When we got it home, Sarah assembled it. It had about a dozen of those snap latches like you find on heavy plastic tool boxes now. Well, when I got there, they brought the dog out to the waiting room on his leash. Then, one of the veterinary assistants put Cojack into the carrier. So far, so good. She bent down, picked it up by the handle, and lifted it up waist high. Almost immediately, all of the latches on one side opened, dumping Cojack on the concrete floor with a sickening thud. Fortunately, he just took it in stride. My first thought was that maybe it had not been snapped together quite right. Two of the techs meticulously snapped it back together and put a not too willing Cojack back into it. This time, the lady put her hand under the bottom part while holding the handle on top. We went that way out to my van. Once she had put the carrier into the back of my van, I asked her to please try picking it up a couple of inches just by the handle. Sure enough, the damned latches flew open again. In the end, we reassembled it one more time, after putting the leash on Cojack inside of the kennel. When I got home, I slid the kennel onto my lap, then, with one hand under it, lowered it to the driveway. I then got him out and walked him in on his leash. You can damned well bet that tomorrow, I'm going back to the store for a refund and a promise from the manager that he will e-mail headquarters and tell them to pull those damned death traps. I'll be sending them a follow-up letter myself. You would think that Walmart buyers at Bentonville would actually check these things out.

My letter to the T&G editor on disabled parking.

http://www.tribune-georgian.com/articles/2009/08/14/opinion/letters/02letter8.14.txt

After nine years of waiting, sewerless St. Marians ready to turn out all incumbents once again.

And who could blame them? http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-14/story/st_marys_residents_annexed_in_2000_still_waiting_for_sewer_lines

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Another semi-local seafood option?

local Yocal Saint Marys, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #1 19 hrs ago This is a new restaurant opened in the old location of Jinright's in Yulee Fl. It is not bad, good food, reasonably priced. It is nothing fancy, just like before as far as atmosphere goes, but the food is really quite good. Again, not a 5 star restaurant, just a good ole local seafood dive. I found this on TOPIX. I've never eaten at this one, but I have eaten at the old Jinright's. If there is anyone out there who has eaten at both, how would you compare the food at the new one to Jinrights: better or worse?

Realistic residential development moving apace in Kingsland.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-09/story/new_kingsland_development_to_provide_first_new_affordable_housing_in_y

Sunday Funnies; Volume 76.

The woman applying for a job in a Florida lemon grove seemed way too qualified for the job. 'Look Miss,' said the foreman, 'have you any actual experience in picking lemons?' 'Well, as a matter of fact, yes!' she replied. 'I've been divorced three times.' ------------------------------------------------------------------- I was in the express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, 'So which six items would you like to buy?' Wouldn't it be great if that happened more often? ------------------------------------------------------------------- Because they had no reservations at a busy restaurant, my elderly neighbour and his wife were told there would be a 45-minute wait for a table. 'Young man, we're both 90 years old,' the husband said . 'We may not have 45 minutes.' They were seated immediately. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The reason MPs (Members of Parliament) try so hard to get re-elected is that they would hate to have to make a living under the laws they've passed. ------------------------------------------------------------------- All eyes were on the radiant bride as her father escorted her down the aisle. As they reached the altar and the waiting groom, the bride kissed her father and placed something in his hand. The guests in the front pews responded with ripples of laughter. Even the priest smiled broadly. As her father gave her away in marriage, the bride gave him back his credit card. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Three friends from the local congregation were asked, 'When you're in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?' Artie said: 'I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader and a great family man.' Eugene commented: 'I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people's lives.' John said: 'I'd like them to say, 'Look, he's moving!' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Smith climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get close enough to talk to God. Look-ing up, he asks the Lord.... 'God, what does a million years mean to you?' The Lord replies, 'A minute.' Smith asks, 'And what does a million dollars mean to you?' The Lord replies, 'A penny.' Smith asks, 'Can I have a penny?' The Lord replies, 'In a minute.' ------------------------------------------------------------------ John was on his deathbed and gasped pitifully. 'Give me one last request, dear,' he said. 'Of course, John,' his wife said softly. 'Six months after I die,' he said, 'I want you to marry Bob.' 'But I thought you hated Bob,' she said. With his last breath John said, 'I do!' ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A man goes to see the Rabbi. 'Rabbi, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it.' The Rabbi asked, 'What's wrong?' The man replied, 'My wife is poisoning me.' The Rabbi, very surprised by this, asks, 'How can that be?' The man then pleads, 'I'm telling you, I'm certain she's poisoning me, what should I do?' The Rabbi then offers, 'Tell you what. Let me talk to her, I'll see what I can find out and I'll let you know.' A week later the Rabbi calls the man and says, 'Well, I spoke to your wife. I spoke to her on the phone for three hours. You want my advice?' The man said yes and the Rabbi replied, 'Take the poison.'

Friday, August 7, 2009

We haven't killed anywhere near enough of these savage bastards!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/08/07/iraq.kidnapped.boy/index.html Folks, you will have to copy that link and paste it into your browser. I'm having a problem. Back when Internet Explorer 7 came out, I did not like it so I switched back to old reliable IE 6. Now, yesterday, after reading an article about how only 15% of users still used IE6, I went ahead and upgraded to Internet Explorer 8. I'm having a couple of issues. When I go to try to give y'all a link to a news article, I can copy the thing, but when I go back to my blog and right click, I get all kinds of new choices which I do not recognize, but NOT the "paste" option. Also, when I pull up muy list of favorites, the dmaned cursor jumps all over the place when I'm trying to move it to a particular selection. Anyone have any idea what is going on here? Update @0925 on Saturday: Now this is truly weird. Yesterday, that above link was not working. Now, this morning, it is, and I have done nothing to make it work. ??????

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Last night's county commission meeting, etc.

Not much of a meeting: adjourned at 6:45. Before the meeting started, Steve Berry was joking with fellow commissioners about how he had meant to bring his rubber duck to the meeting but left it on his desk. Sheriff Gregory showed up in his new uniform, complete with Corfam shoes and matching gun belt replete with pistol, extra mags, cuffs, etc. Uniforms are dark blue, trousers and shirt. New shoulder patch on light gray background. Badge is a star suspended inside of a circle. For insignia of rank, Tommy wears 5 stars in a circle, like Ike wore as SACEUR. No noteworthy votes save the last one. There was a guy there who had to pay $250.00 in late fees and penalties on his property tax. It turns out that the old owner got the tax bill and trashed it the first year he lived in his house. The gentleman not only figured out hat there was no system in place to prevent that from happening, but came up with a form to prevent it from happening in future. The county has now adopted said form and all closing attorneys are now using it. The man readily admitted it was no fault of the county's. Board was seconds before voting to turn down request for refund when Steve Berry chimed in in favor of the refund. All were persuaded to vote for the refund, save Chip Keene, the only rule utilitarian and consequently the only one who properly voted to deny. After the improper vote was cast, in the final public comment section, Winston Barlow, amazingly without quoting any scriptural passages to support his position, arose and stated that they had just opened a huge can of worms in that other tax payers could now argue that they did not pay on time because they too did not receive their bill and refer back to this vote. He is, of course, exactly right. Berry had argued that the county had benefited from the mans efforts. True, but it was Barlow who came up with the suggestion that they should have in stead of refunding the fees and penalties, paid the man a fee for his services equal to or greater than the fees and penalties. Hopefully, next meeting, the commissioners will undo their bad-precedent-setting screw-up and do just that. Oh, and after the meeting, I was thinking about giving Raidas another try. No way: at 7:15, their parking lot was absolutely packed. Instead, I went to Peppers. That was my third or 4th visit to Peppers. Service and food were both excellent as usual. Had the dish they call Banderas Mexicanas this time. Very good. For Mexican in Camden, here are the choices and my ratings. Given that the Mexican or Tex-Mex I've had in Texas and Colorado is "Excellent", I would rate Peppers "very good;" El Potros "good;" and El Ranchito "poor."

A sad but true commentary upon the state of religious bigotry and intolerance in Camden County.

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/kingsland-ga/TFV5K32J3F5N7AVSS/p2#lastPost greenleaf Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #37 2 hrs ago If one can get past his religion, Jim Steele,owner of K-Bay, in my opinion is about as strait-arrow as they come. Marion Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #38 1 hr ago Could you explain? (Note: Do not let Marions Wall's question fool you. He is, in fact, one of the most outrageous religious bigots in the county.) greenleaf Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #39 1 hr ago He's Jewish...don't think one could get elected in Camden County, GA Merlin Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #40 10 min ago greenleaf wrote: He's Jewish...don't think one could get elected in Camden County, GA So...thus far I've been told that Rich Gamble and LJ Williams wouldn't be elected "because they're black" and now those of the Jewish faith are added to the list of "couldn't-wins". What or who is next? Maybe there's a far bigger problem here than dubious "leadership". I'd like to say that I'm stunned...but I think that I'm getting too numb for that. "What or who is next? Well, I'll tell you, Alex: ANYONE who does not at least pay lip service to being a Christian and, more specifically, a Protestant Christian. Politics Kingsland, GA Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #42 29 min ago Merlin wrote: Maybe there's a far bigger problem here than dubious "leadership". I'd like to say that I'm stunned...but I think that I'm getting too numb for that. BINGO we have a winner........Hence the reason why Camden County as a community is'nt flourishing as predestined. I have come to realize certain characteristics about the people of Camden County:they don't like honesty in politics; are'nt fond of blacks or others who are intelligent; and voting decisions have absolutely nothing to do with the best interest of the community.This is a disastrous combination for positive growth

Merlin Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #44 1 hr ago fondell wrote: sounds like your just pulling for someone because they are black. Stop trying to keep the white man down. I cannot begin to describe how little I care whether those on Council are black, white, puce, mauve or multi-hued. Nor are there words adequate enough to capture my profound disinterest in their religious leanings (or lack thereof). Someone...please...explain to me why either skin color or theology comes into play here. St. Marys' Mayor could be a multi-racial pantheist for all I care as long as he/she performs the job with integrity and competence. It is becoming depressingly clear to me that clear-eyed perspective is too much to hope for in any discussion of the up-coming elections for there are simply too many diversions into non-issues such as personal grudges, race and religion. This community will, in the end, elect the leaders it deserves.

Alas, Alex (AKA "Merlin"), that, too, is probably true.

U.S. monitoring two Russian attack boats off east coast.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/04/defense-officials-russian-subs-patrolling-east-coast-united-states/?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r4:c0.055757:b26958718:z0

More on FDIC and Satilla Community GOB Bank.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-05/story/fdic_orders_reforms_at_st_marys_bank I think it far more likely that Charlie Smith said that the FDIC was "exacerbating" the situatiion, vs. "exasperating."

Lightning takes out St. Marys cabinet shop.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-05/story/lightning_strike_ignites_fire_at_st_marys_cabinet_shop Does anyone know exactly where this cabinet shop was located? http://www.news4jax.com/news4georgia/20283708/detail.html

Monday, August 3, 2009

Sixteen years today!

Yep, I arived in St. Marys 16 years ago today, on August 3rd, 1993. In spite of countless invitations to "go back up North where (I) came from" (my hometown of Savannah, GA), I'm still here and not going anywhere.

Camden County Board of Commissioners regular meeting, tomorrow, August 4th, at 6:00PM.

Agenda: http://www.co.camden.ga.us/archive.aspx?AMID=&Type=&ADID=602

The buses are running.

If you have forgotten my original post, here's the link. http://camdencommentary.blogspot.com/2009/07/federally-subsidized-bus-service-from.html The toll free number to request a bus is 1-866-543-6744.

Pentagon speeding up development of 15-ton "bunker buster."

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN0213354020090802

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Not so, heliocentric breath!

Merlin Reply » Report Abuse Judge it! #194 11 min ago Politics wrote: Oh but Merlin, that concept was a home run with the Quarterback Club which Drury oversees. When it was share with me I quickly stated but "St. Marys is suppose to annex the property into their city which means the money would go to St. Marys instead of Kingsland where the football field is located" then he looked at me in amazement. HaHaHa I know that look, Politics: it's the same gobsmacked stare that one often gets if one suggests that there is a world beyond the rarefied enclave that such as Drury inhabit. I imagine that Galileo Galilei encountered the same expression when he first suggested that the Earth was not the center of the universe around which all celestial bodies revolve. Actually, Galileo got that look from being smacked up side the head with a salami by Copernicus, the originator of heliocentrism.

SOFA DOCTOR does great work!

Click on image to enlarge.
The couple who own / operate SOFA DOCTOR delivered my sofa this afternoon - yes, on a Sunday! The gentleman who did the work is obviously a perfectionist. The material which I purchased off the Internet and had drop-shipped to him was of such a pattern that wherever it had to be cut, it required the most meticulous care to match the pattern up with the next piece. He did an absolutely excellent job. I ordered one more yard of each of the two materials than he estimated he would need. When he had two yards left over, he made and threw in two pillows at no charge. The handsome, color-co-ordinated dog was not included. I actually took about a half dozen more photos to show y'all, but for some reason, the young ladies working the one- hour photo shop in Walmart returned only one - the one you're looking at. I've only been shooting 35mm for 40 years, but who knows. In the other photographs, you would have seen how beautifully all of the lines on the piece match up. I highly recommend SOFA DOCTOR at 576-1367, in Saturday Park at 4445 Hwy 40 East.

History test for Baby Boomers.

History Exam...Everyone over 40 should have a pretty easy time at this exam. If you are under 40 you can claim a handicap.This is a History Exam for those who don't mind seeing how much they really remember about what went on in their life*** Get paper & pencil & number from 1 to 20.****Write the letter of each answer & score at the end.Then before you pass this test on, put your score in the subject line. 1. In the 1940s/50s, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located?a. On the floor shift knob.b. On the floor board, to the left of the clutch.c. Next to the horn.2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it.. For what was it used? a. Capture lightning bugs. b. To sprinkle clothes before ironing. c. Large salt shaker. 3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters? a. Cows got cold and wouldn't produce milk. b. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled. c. Milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors and milk would freeze, expanding and pushing up the cardboard bottle top. 4. What was the popular chewing gum named for a game of chance? a. Blackjackb. Ginc. Craps 5. What method did women use to look as if they were wearing stockings when none were available due to rationing dur ing WW II? a. Suntan b. Leg painting c. Wearing slacks 6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you couldn't tell whether it was coming or going? a. Studebaker b. Nash Metro c. Tucker 7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid? a. Strips of dried peanut butter. b. Chocolate licorice bars. c. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside. 8. How was Butch wax used? a. To stiffen a flat-top haircut so it stood up. b. To make floors shiny and prevent scuffing. c. On the wheels of roller skates to pre vent rust. 9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes? a. With clamps, tightened by a skate key. b. Woven straps that crossed the foot. c. Long pieces of twine. 10. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision? a. Consider all the facts. b. Ask Mom. c. Eeny-meeny-miney-MO. 11 What was the most dreaded disease in the 1940s and 1950s? a. Smallpox b. AIDS c. Polio 12. 'I'll be down to get you in a ________, Honey' ? a. SUV b. Taxi c. Streetcar 13. W hat was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pony? a. Old Blue b. Paint c. Macaroni 14.. What was a Duck-and-Cover Drill? a. Part of the game of hide and seek. b. What you did when your Mom called you in to do chores. c. Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill. 15. What was the name of the Indian Princess on the Howdy Doody show? a. Princess Summerfallwinterspring b. Princess Sacajawea c. Princess Moonshadow 16. What did all the really savvy students do when mimeographed tests were handed out in school? a. Immediately sniffed the purple ink, as this was believed to get you high. b. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail theirs out the window. c. Wrote another pupil's name on the top, to avoid their failure. 17. Why did your Mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with purchases? a. To keep you out of mischief by licking the backs, which tasted like bubble gum. b. They could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items. c. They were given to the kids to be used as stick-on tattoos. 18. Praise the Lord, & pass the _________?a. Meatballs b. Dames c. Ammunition 19. What was the name of the singing group that made the song 'Cabdriver' a hit? a. The Ink Spots b. The Supremes c. The Esquires 20. Who left his heart in San Francisco ? a. Tony Bennett b. Xavier Cugat c. George Gershwin ANSWERS 1. (b) On the floor, to the left of the clutch. Hand controls, popular in Europe , took till the late '60's to catch on. 2. (b) To sprinkle clothes before ironing. Who had a steam iron? 3. (c) Cold weather caused the milk to freeze and expand, popping the bottle top. 4 . (a) Blackjack Gum. 5. (b) Special makeup was applied, followed by drawing a seam down the back of the leg with eyebrow pencil. 6. (a) 1946 Stud ebaker. 7. (c) Wax coke bottles containing super-sweet colored water. 8. (a) Wax for your flat top (butch) haircut. 9. (a) With clamps , tightened by a skate key, which you wore on a shoestring around your neck. 10. (c) Eeny-mee ny-miney-mo. 11. (c) Polio. In beginning of August, swimming pools were closed, movies and other public gathering places were closed to try to prevent spread of the disease. 12. (b) Taxi , Better be ready by half-past eight! 13. (c) Macaroni. 14. (c) Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill. 15. (a) Princess Summerfallwinterspring. She was another puppet. 16. (a) Immediately sniffed the purple ink to get a high. 17. (b) Put in a special stamp book, they could be traded for household items at the Green Stamp store. 18. (c) Ammunition, and we'll all be free. 19. (a) The widely famous 50's group: The Inkspots. 20. (a) Tony Bennett, and he sounds just as good today. SCORING17- 20 correct: You are older than dirt, and obviously gifted with mental abilities. Now if you could only find your glasses. Definitely someone who should shar e your wisdom! 12 -16 correct: Not quite dirt yet, but you're getting there.0 -11 correct: You are not old enough to share the wisdom of your experiences. I'll be 62 in November. I got them all right.

Sunday Funnies; Volume 75

(From my Uncle Harry, in Adelaide, Australia) I became confused when I heard these terms with reference to the word 'service'. Australian Tax 'Service'. Postal 'Service'. Telephone 'Service'. 'Service' Center. Civil 'Service'. Federal , City Municipal & Public 'Service.' Customer 'Service'.'Service' Desk. This is not what I thought 'service' meant. I was really confused. But today, I overheard two farmers talking, and one of them said he had hired a bull to 'service' a few cows. BAM!!! It all came into focus. Now I understand what all those 'service' agencies are doing to us.

Beware of private, for profit, post-secondary schools.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-08-02/story/its_student_beware_when_picking_a_for_profit_trade_school