It's Supposed To Be 97 Degrees Outside Today

And It's About The Same Inside...Where I'M Working This Morning


Well, I've already been out to the pool before sunrise, smoked a cigar, and spent a couple hours planning my day over on my jobsite from hell construction site this morning.

I have a local real estate agent that's expressed an interest in marketing my finished product stopping by to take a peek at my efforts and offer some input regarding some options I'm considering executing.

That is...if the HEAT doesn't execute ME first.

I'm going to try to make it to noon and get some new ceiling framing installed in the new hallway.

If you don't hear from me by tomorrow, will someone call 911?

I Just Lost A Good Friend

So Did The Dartmouth Class of '42


When we moved down here to our little island from Atlanta in 2004, we didn't at the time realize that our condo included not only 1500 square feet of space situated in the middle of a golf course, but that it also came with the friendship of the most wonderful friend and neighbor that anyone could ever ask for.

His name was Harlan "Bucky" Strader, born way back in 1920, and at the time widowed and living alone in the condo directly downstairs from our new home.

The day we moved in Bucky came by to introduce himself, and over the next couple of years we became very close friends as I generally spent time with him each and every morning, sitting around his kitchen table discussing the events of the prior day, watching "Imus in the morning" on TV and looking at the newspaper.

Several afternoons each week Pat and I would stop by downstairs to have wine and enjoy some fine brie cheese with him, and we frequently went out to lunch and dinner together--always appreciating his sense of humor and hating to see the effects time was taking on his ageing mind and body as he lost his ability to drive, and finally had to leave us to move back home to Connecticut to live closer to his family.

We managed to talk to him on the telephone every few months since his move from St. Simons island, and we took a trip last fall up to his part of the world to visit him, also enjoying getting to see his daughter and one of his sons--the tea merchant--again during our stay.

Things hadn't been going so well in the past few months for him, and Bucky decided to make his final move about 6:30 AM this morning. I just learned the news from his daughter Pam a few minutes ago and am still trying to process my own personal loss.

It's about like losing another grandfather...I think.

WWII veteran, business executive, husband, father, Gentleman, and overall connoisseur of Life, the world has lost yet another great man with the passing of our dear friend Bucky.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Strader...

All Southerners Aren't Really Stupid

We Just Can't Keep The Mentally Weakest Among Us Off Of The TV News...


I have to admit that my Title and Sub-Title are shamelessly stolen from my fellow Georgia Tech Alumni and internationally famous comedian Mr. Jeff Foxworthy, but I couldn't think of a better line to use in introducing this AP News story about a 5 year old boy wrestling with a rabid fox to save his siblings.

KINGSTOWN, N.C. - A 5-year-old boy grabbed a rabid fox by the neck and pinned it to the ground during a family cookout, protecting six other children before his stepfather could step in.

I wanted to protect my little brother," said Rayshun McDowell, who battled the animal in the front yard of his home Sunday in Kingstown, a town about 50 miles west of Charlotte.

The fox bit Rayshun in the leg, but the 61-pound-boy held the animal down. Health officials later identified the fox as rabid.

"I looked out the window and Rayshun had the fox by the neck and was pushing it into the ground," said his mother, Shinda Linder. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

Rayshun's stepfather, Ryan Thompson, pulled the boy off the animal and kicked it. A neighbor fired a handgun three times but the fox continued to advance.

Thompson, wearing a cast because of a broken leg, said he used a stick and his crutch to beat the fox to death.

Rayshun, meanwhile, asked only for a Band-Aid and didn't complain of any pain.

That must have been one tough little Fox to have survived three gunshots only to be beaten to death by a crippled man wielding a stick and a crutch.

If I was the guy holding the gun I would be totally embarrassed--he must have missed three times--because the other thing you can generally say about Americans that reside in the south is that we love our guns and most of the time we know how to shoot them quite accurately.

I have to get some sleep now because I feel the urge to make sawdust coming on me again later this morning.

Y'all have a nice post 4th of July day now, if you will...

July 4th, 1864

I Was There...110 Years Too Late...


In addition to all the other things I've talked about here on the old blog, I don't believe that I've mentioned that I'm a bit of an American Civil War fan, having visited a number of Battlefield sites with my parents as a kid and having lived beside and on top of a good piece of Civil War history as an adult in Atlanta, Smyrna and Marietta, Georgia for nearly thirty years beginning in the 1970's.

I always like to remember that July 4th, in addition to being our National celebration of Independence, also represents the anniversary of Union General Sherman's march through what is now Cobb County Georgia on his way through Atlanta to Savannah.

Having lost the high ground at Kennesaw Mountain in late June, the Rebels fell back toward the Chattahoochee River and on July 4th, 1864 Confederate General Johnson was attacked by McPherson (a damn Yankee General) at Ruff's Mill outside modern day Smyrna Georgia.

Again the Yankee's prevailed, the confederates fell back across the 'Hooch, and Atlanta was toast within weeks.

Any way...I built and lived in a house in the late 1980's on property across the street from some hand dug trenches that were part of this segment of Sherman's so called "Atlanta Campaign."

In fact, the entire area that has been paved over and crisscrossed with asphalt over the past 150 years still has relics and artifacts of the Civil War if you look closely. One of Georgia's 12 remaining covered bridges, the Concord Bridge, still serves commuter auto traffic every day of the week there in Smyrna.

Here's an interesting chronological summary of the battles which I found at the About North Georgia Website:

July 2

After McPherson moves to outflank Johnston, the Confederate General withdraws to Smyrna.

July 4

Intense fighting at Ruff's Mill turns Johnston's left flank. Johnston pulls back to the so-called Chattahoochee Line starting late today.

July 10

Johnston withdraws to the gates of Atlanta, carefully destroying all bridges over the Chattahoochee River. Skirmish in Alpharetta. Braxton Bragg is traveling to Atlanta to meet with Johnston as a representative of President Davis

July 11

Davis informs Robert E. Lee of his decision to remove Johnston, asks Lee about his feelings on Hood as a replacement.

July 16

Moving east from Marietta, Georgia, Sherman's forces spread across the open land north of Atlanta. Replying to an inquiry about his plans made by President Davis, Johnston says, "As the enemy has double our number, we must be on the defensive. My plan of operations, therefore, must depend upon that of the enemy."

July 17

President Davis relieves Johnston of command and places John Bell Hood in charge. In a meeting with his men two days later Sherman instructs them to expect an attack at any moment, given Hood's aggressive nature. Sherman had found out about the change in command thanks to the Atlanta newspapers.

July 20

Hood attacks and loses at Peachtree Creek. From a point northeast of Atlanta along the Decatur Road (at the corner of present-day Dekalb Avenue and Degress St.) the first artillery shells fall on the city.

July 21

A "bald hill" east of the city falls to men under the command of Mortimer Leggitt. Renamed Leggett's Hill, this rise offers Sherman an elevated place to fire artillery into the heart of downtown Atlanta. Sherman believes the city will be quickly abandoned. Forward troops report large-scale movement of Confederate forces.

July 22

The large-scale troop movements is not the retreat of the Army of Tennessee, but the movement of Hardee's Corps on a 15-mile circuitous route to attack the Federal left flank in East Atlanta. General McPherson dies. Confederate loses may exceed 10,000 in this battle."

Anyone but me notice that even in 1864 the media, or more specifically--the Atlanta "Newspapers"--are providing information that could be of value to the "enemy", even as the enemy is attacking the very city where the "media's" offices are based?

And TEN THOUSAND DEAD?

There would be soiled underwear and wringing hands on two foot centers in the US today with military casualties of even 10% of those numbers today.


The city of Atlanta is still held under the siege of the Cox Media Empire's Atlanta Journal and Constitution (otherwise locally known as the "Urinal and Constipation"). It is, in my personal opinion, perhaps the worst big city newspaper in the entire country.

I can say so because I've subscribed to and yelled at it's editorial page for thirty years now.

Finally, in closing out my final fourth of July posting in 2007, let me state that I regret that I never really took the time that I needed to go through the archives held in the local libraries addressing the details of what the US Government allowed it's troops to do to the citizens of Georgia in the name of national unity.

Regardless, every time some limp wristed liberal asshole journalist starts whining about military atrocities in Iraq I want to kick them in the head and remind them of what my fellow southerners endured in 1864 as Sherman was allowed to conduct his famous "March to the Sea."

New Beach Chair

Her First Test Drive...


Here's Missy, my "Turbo Pup", sitting in her new pink colored beach chair that we've been watching at Harris Teeter for the past few weeks priced at nearly $20.

Today the last one was on sale at a substantial price reduction, so it came home with us and we tossed one of her favorite blankets in the seat to entice her to try it out and take a sit.

Here's a close up view of a very happy dog (click on the picture to get a larger view):




The next use will be when she makes her next trip out on the beach, and that won't be until once everyone else has gone back home from the holiday.

Have A Good 4th...

Then Get The Heck Back Home


We went over to the mainland today to exchange some stuff at Sears, then we stumbled back through the traffic on the causeway, down to the village, in order to take a preview peek at my photos hanging there in the Gallery with everybody Else's work.

I'm pretty sure that I probably won't even get an honorable mention, but hey...my work looks pretty good and it's hanging in a room full of excellent photography.

Can you say "Impostor?"

Then we struggled through more traffic in order to grab some Sushi and Tempura for dinner, then ran back to our little island home where we will comfortably hide for the next couple of days while the rest of America celebrates July 4th.

Tomorrow night we actually have the luxury of wandering out poolside at dusk to watch the Sea Island Company's fireworks display out over the lagoon and 18th hole of the adjacent golf course instead of suffering through traffic and parking problems down there on the south end of the island.

Any way...have a good one, and then to all of the visitors that insist on parking in my parking space and tossing trash around the lawns...

GO HOME

I'm Melting

Help Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....


Yes, thankfully I survived yet another sweltering day bumbling around solo on my construction job site on Monday.

By the time I had loaded a couple hundred dollars worth of lumber into my truck at Home Depot and unloaded it down on Wolfe Street I was almost ready to go home, but then I remembered that I had a new air compressor and air powered nail guns to play with and I couldn't resist hanging around to see if I could shoot myself in the foot or something.

Adding to my current construction frenzy is the much awaited opening of our new Lowe's store.

Somehow I didn't know about the event because they didn't advertise it (or I missed the ads) and I only learned about my new purchasing option by listening to Lauren Nobles' local AM Radio Talk Show later in the morning while wiping my face and gasping for air on one of my numerous breaks to drink a few gulps of GatorAid.

I'm still trying to juggle multiple, diverse projects with the sawdust laden residential construction battling for my attention versus the steel stack design, while taking delivery on spandex samples to show Band parents and Band Directors in a meeting tomorrow afternoon.

Next is the Photo Exhibit opening on Thursday after taking time off Wednesday to lounge by the pool and possibly cook a couple of racks of baby back Pork ribs, and then there is the festering and suffering that this blog and my Redneck Gormet blog is undergoing due to my inattention and lack of effort.

Speaking of Blogging effort, one of my blog acquaintences, Lisa Sabin-Wilson over at Just a girl in the world blog is in the process of managing the release of a new book on blog publishing, Wordpress for Dummies, that is available for pre-purchase on Amazon.com.

In addition buying her book, I'll probably be letting her handle the redesign of both my blogs later this summer. We've talked about the idea starting a couple of years ago and I've just not had the time, energy, or funding to put into restarting my efforts in a new, more professional looking format.

Of course that means that by committing to spending money monthly for web hosting and paying a designer for page setup that I must justify the costs with something worth reading, but then again this is MY space on the Internet and if I want to pay a COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR and write ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, then so be it.

I am Editor, Publisher, and Chief of Staff here and what I say goes 99.999999999999% of the time.

Terrorism Success?

It Looks To Me Like They're Recruiting Idiots...


Just in case you haven't noticed, it's been almost six years since the 9/11 attacks here in the US and in my opinion nothing of further significance has occurred inside our borders caused by any "dang foreigners." This is, of course, only true if you insist on ignoring the ongoing influx of fruit pickers, chicken puckers, maids, nannies, and construction workers that continue to stream in across the Mexican border.

If that isn't an outright foreign invasion, I don't know what is...

You also can’t count the numerous events where people freaked out over abandoned suitcases and "packages" found sitting around in public places and the local police departments time spent with their bomb squads investigating and blowing up "suspicious" boxes containing things like your Aunt Sally’s fruit salad that look funny in the new X-ray machines installed by the Department of Homeland Security into rural post offices around the Atlanta metro area.

Meanwhile, the enlightened, tolerant folks over in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe haven’t been so lucky. In spite of having spent the past six years handing over their guns to their respective governments and de-electing pro-war politicians, they’ve been forced to watch Al Qaeda’s current edition of the “Keystone Cops” terrorist brigade manage to blow up a few Spanish Trains and some British busses.

Now, even with the English electorate's ouster of Tony Blair as Prime minister in favor of a more lilly livered liberal moderate minded PM Brown, the wild eyed towel heads Muslim proselytizers have moved from 2001’s airliner bombs all the way down to relying on used Mercedes Benz Coups (and even a Jeep in Scotland) but apparently they’re having trouble timing their explosions and finding drivers that can operate autos as efficiently as they herd Camels.

Perhaps these Jihadists are actually drinking while they do their driving--I don’t know for sure--but thus far the terrorist wannabes seem to be the only ones being terrorized.

That said, I’ll point out that there might be a slightly increased chance that our own swarthy domestic Islamists might be planning something for July 4th, but then again in spite of our best efforts and the ineptitude of groups like the Democrats and the ACLU we’ve tapped enough telephones and populated the camps down in Cuba with the more capable, most dangerous types, leaving the terrorism here to raw amateurs.

I’m not promoting the idea, but I continue to remind you of the chaos that could be caused by a couple of dozen like minded people that elected to run the wrong way through the passenger exits in a dozen major airports at the same hour of the same day like the UGA football fan did in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport a few years ago. If someone violated the “secure” areas in Atlanta, Miami, JFK, Dulles, Dallas, Chicago, and LA at the exact same moment, the US air transportation system would grind to an immediate halt for at least 24 hours.

Pull a stunt like that at Christmas or Thanksgiving, and people would be sleeping on the floor in the terminal parking decks for a week.

Or what if the same group walked into the same airports and each abandoned two or three suitcases in restrooms or restaurants in the terminals? Fill those bags with some electrical junk and a few short lengths of pipe from Home Depot to produce an interesting image on an X-ray machine, and again you have an industrial strength logjam that would take days to correct.

Pretty soon they’d have us all boarding airplanes naked or wearing those little flimsy gowns like they give you at the hospital. Instead of checked luggage and carry on bags you’d have to ship your toothbrush and underwear to your destination by FedEx or buy new clothes in overpriced stores located in your destination airport.

Based on the skin I’ve seen hanging out of tank tops and shorts on some of the flights I’ve taken over the past 25 years, I would probably elect to travel by wagon train or just walk to my destination rather than risk putting up with hypersensitive security measures and half naked passengers with their butt cheeks flapping in the breeze.

I'd also like to remind anyone with the CIA or Homeland Security or any other Government or Pseudo-government agency that reads this posting and thinks that by writing my concerns that I am endorsing such behavior to stop and get a firm grip on their own aforementioned "flapping butt cheeks."

This flag waving, anthem singing red blooded American boy will in fact kick the ever loving crap out of anyone that I encounter misbehaving in an airport, on an airliner, and anywhere else they choose to enact their Jihadists bullshit, and your possession of US government credentials will not excuse you from my wrath if you are an idiot and show up at my door.

Do I make myself perfectly clear here?

Well then...you all have yourself a nice 4th of July if we don't speak again between now and then.

Dammit...