My Computer Is Frozen

Yesterday morning suddenly on the screen in big letters I was told my computer was locked down and for $300 they would unlock it. The chicken-fat blog may be down off and on for a while. I have to create this blog on my i-pad, Which isn't as easy as using a keyboard. And also using pictures is out of the question. So creating a blog just an't fun anymore.

Free Coffee!!

I'm not above getting more milage out of stuff that I write.  For instance here is something I wrote on Facebook yesterday:

Lately in the mail and the newspaper we have been bombarded with coupons for free coffee at RaceTrack Gas Stations. Most of the coupons that come in say free coffee, any size. But some coupons state free coffee, any size, with free pastry. And some come that say free coffee, any size, with free breakfast sandwich. No matter how it is worded, they know how to win my heart.


This morning I reported to the nearest RaceTrack armed with a shiny red and white coupon for free coffee, any size. When I pulled up to park in the front a middle aged lady was bent over in the garbage can by the door going through it. Oh well.

Inside, with the smallest cup size, I poured a cup of coffee, dark roasted, no cream. Then I fumbled with the lid. First, when I pulled off the lid on top of the top stack I accidentally pulled off two. I have that same problem every time. I hated to put on back because I actually touched both of them. But again, I hate to throw it away, because it hadn’t really been used. Then, getting the lid to snap snugly on is another story. It always takes time. But finally it worked.

I walked over to the cashier counter with my coffee and free coffee coupon. The cashier was waiting on the same lady I saw earlier out front going through the garbage can. She had a handful of free coffee coupons and was leaning over the cashier counter trying to decided which scratch-off lottery coupons to buy. She acted unorganized, scattered brain, jittery, and nervous. She had a cup of coffee beside her. Did the free coffee make her that way? She was asking the cashier a lot of questions about the different scratch-off lottery tickets but finally picked and chose $20 worth of coupons. The cashier was very patient. The jittery garbage can lady noticed me and apologized. I politely said no problem, “take your time.” It might be unhealthy to rush a jittery nervous person.

My transaction was simple and quick. Here’s the coupon and here’s my coffee. Bye!

When I turned around to go out the line was almost to the door. The jittery lady picking out lottery tickets was the reason the line piled up. In the line was a man who looked like he did construction work, two men looked as if they might be going through hard times, and the back of the line was an elderly lady finely dressed that looked well off. Everybody in line were holding free coffee coupons.

I couldn’t resist myself, I stopped by the last person, the elderly well-off lady and said, “Free coffee?” She giggled, which was out of character for her graceful dignified appearance.

LARRY MILLER

This has been posted many times. Everyday when I had a new post this one slides down more out of view. When it slides off the page it is time to repost. Hi!


Have you ever faced a life-threatening illness for which there is no treatment or cure?

Have you ever become overwhelmed by the costs of your illness?



Have you ever had to rely on your family and friends to make a life-saving difference on your behalf?

Larry faced these conditions all at once. Larry was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, Emphysema, and Pulmonary Hypertension. There are no treatments for these diseases and there was no hope for him without a lung transplant.

Larry was evaluated and approved for a bi-lateral lung transplant at Emory University Hospital in April.



On May 14th Larry received the call from Emory saying they had lungs for him. His transplant was performed on the 15th with excellent results. Due to the generosity of the donor’s family, he received a very healthy set of young lungs (to use the surgeon’s words). Larry is recovering exceedingly well and was released to go home on the 31st of May. He is gaining strength each day by following his drug regimen very carefully and by following a vigorous program of Pulmonary Rehabilitation.



His recovery is great news, but with it comes enormous annual costs for post-transplant treatments and medications. I have known Larry and been his friend since the 5th grade (1953) so I offered to head up his fundraising committee. We are working to help Larry raise money to cover some of these costs. Fortunately, Larry qualified for a matched account in the Georgia Transplant Foundation’s (GTF) Fundraising Program, GTF will match every dollar we raise up to a maximum of $10,000, and then they will hold the money and administer the distribution for Larry’s medication expenses.

We need Your Support to reach the $10,000 Goal! Please consider making a donation to help us raise the funds Larry will need to buy post-transplant medications which will support the maintenance of his transplant.
How to Donate:
Checks/money orders should be made payable to Georgia Transplant Foundation with Larry’s name in the memo section of your check. Please mail checks/money orders to Georgia Transplant Foundation, Attention: Transplant Fundraising Program, 500 Sugar Mill Road, Suite 107-A, Atlanta GA 30350. An envelope is enclosed for your convenience. Thank you for supporting this life-saving campaign.

The Georgia Transplant Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial, educational, and emotional assistance to Georgia’s transplant community, is assisting us in our fundraising efforts. If you have questions or want further verification, please see the Georgia Transplant Foundation website at www.gatransplant.org or email TFP@gatransplant.org.

If you have already made a donation, please accept our thanks.

Sincerely,
Paul Roper
Committee Chairman

Book Report on KILLING LINCOLN

Killing Lincoln by BILL O’REILLY & Martin Dugard




That is the way the title reads on the book cover. O’Reilly’s name is all uppercase and Dugard’s isn’t. That probably means Dugard did all the research work.
Actually, when you look at the book cover you will see O'Reilly's name is even bigger than the title.


The title of the book says it all. It is about the assignation of Abraham Lincoln and events before and after. The first third is the about the Virginia battlefield of General Grant and General’s Lee last war effort towards each other and the surrender.



Then the remainder is about the planning of the assassination and the study of the people involved. I think any American History fan would love this book, on every page ironic trivia and coincidental bits are told about. A lot of means nothing but is interesting. Like for instance it just so happens that after shot Lincoln was carried to the nearest available bed which was a house that rented beds to actors who came and went. John Wilkes Booth slept in the same bed Lincoln died in just a few nights before Lincoln died in it; and Robert Todd Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth both had an on-going romantic relationship with the daughter of a senator about the same time.



It is good, it is factual. The only peeve I have with it I think some factual things told were things that no amount of research could have told them, like personal thoughts of the key players. Some of it was reported was probably likely but factual for sure?



Another good part of the book is the Afterword. It takes all the principle players and tells what happened to them, including Mary Todd Lincoln. She lived “south of France in the town of Pau”. That is what the book said. If it is south of France, then it is not France. And if it wasn’t France what country was it? I’m confused.

Also after the Afterward is a recreation of Harper’s Weekly publication giving their account of it all.



315 pages, published by Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! Wonder Wart Hog, MOB 3

By Gilbert Shelton

Hav-a-Tampa Today..... Laaaaaa!

Over a short flurry of emails Brad and I were reminiscing over our athletic careers in grammar school We were both bench warmers in our chosen sport, he Junior football and I Little League. As I said, it was a very short flurry.




I told of the one time I actually got to be part of the game. It was the last ending of last game of the year. It was some kind of playoffs and our team was losing terribly. They knew we were going to lose anyway, so they sent me to be the last person at bat. Did I mention it was at the Ponce de Leon Ball Park where the Crackers played in Atlanta? I stood there and held the bat like an idiot and the catcher said all sorts of intimidating things to me. If he only knew my state of mind he didn’t have to say a word, I was already about intimidated as one could get. The pitcher threw three strikes right over the plate, one after another and the game was over. That was my baseball career.



However, that reminded me of another time I was at the same ball park to see a Cracker game. Our scout troop went several times. I remember one time we were to keep in a group so the scout leaders could keep an eye on us but some of us not interested in the game climbed to higher bleachers just because it was more scenic the higher you go. The scout leaders was so caught up with the game they didn’t know we were gone.



I remember there were about four of us. Jimmy Pat Presley, me and I forgot the other two. Back then we all were into collecting cigar boxes. Tampa Nugget boxes were the most plentiful and the easiest to get, so they were not that rare, therefore, no fun to possess. The second easiest to get was Hav-a-Tampa Cigar boxes. I don’t know how it started rolling, but we started making up cigar commercial jingles. Most we tried flubbed but one, with a little retries came out perfectly. It was like the Jingles God shot magic beam our way. It was a musical commercial for Hav-a-Tampa Cigar. Now, the only thing I remember was the last word of the jingle, which was “Llaaaaaa” with each our right arm outstretched. Unfortunately, the Get’em-A-Good-Agent God was not there.

Signs of the Times

I came across this picture on Facebook the other day.  It is the Smyrna Drive-In Theater, that was north of  Smyrna on old Atlanta Road, aka Dixie Highway, just down the road  from Marietta three or four miles.

It also reminded me of an experince I had at the Smyrna Drive-In, which was also a sign of the times.

Stop me if you remember me telling this before.  This was in the late 50s.  We decided to slip into the Smyrna Drive-In.  Larry S. had a 57 Ford with a large trunk; large enough to cram four or five boys in. 

I was chosen to drive the car into the drive-in while my4 or 5 friends were stuffed in the trunk.  The plan was to park in the back of the lot and I would wait until it got dark and then I would stroll around back of the car and open the trunk and let them out.

I bought one ticket and parked in the back as planned.  I was hoping it looked like I was just waiting for the movie but nervously I was waiting for darkness to come in so I could let them out.  Then in the rear-view mirror I saw a flash light bouncing in the dark towards me.  I knew I was in trouble.

The man with the flashlight came to my window and motioned for me to roll it down, which I did, and he said, "You can't park back here, this is the colored section".

"Oh!" I said and was reaching to to turn on the engine to move and he said, "And you better let those boys in the back out before they smother."

And, I did, and we went and got a parking place in the white section.

A Pisser for Details

This is an old postcard of Brasstown Ball in Union County, Georgia.  Brassdown Ball is the highest point in Georgia.

I have been there several times but I have not been since I discovered my great-g-g grandfather John Hunter (1775-1848) was one of the first settlers of the area lived at almost the base of Brasstown Ball.

Once in about 1965 a Navy friend Don from Chicago came to visit me on his way to Florida and I gave him a quick whistle stop tour of the north Georgia Mountains.  Of course, the higest point in Georgia was a must.  We were there late in the afternoon and Don pissed someplace on the ground as high as you could get (no one was around).

His claim to fame was that he pissed off the highest point in Georgia.  Whoopee!

One Man's Trash Is Another Man Trash

While looking around for some pictures yesterday I came upon a box I don't remember dealing with lately.  I opened it up and there were some comicbooks that I don't remember buying.

I am a possessive type of person and pretty much keep up with all my collected stuff in my mind.  I suprised myself, I had no idea I had these comics and of course where I got them.

I think when my friend Bluto visited from California in 2001 I bought the comics in question at a hipped comicbook shop in Little Five Points.

The only thing for sure is that I know I have them them now.

Between the Lines

What did the President really say on his second inauguration speech? Obama's speech has been dissected and analyzed.

For what was really said. Click here

Thank you Mike for the link.

This Day In History - Yesterday

LARRY MILLER

Have you noticed this post on this blog blog before? It has been posted many times. Everyday when I had a new post this one slides down more out of view. When it slides off the page it is time to repost. Hi!
Have you ever faced a life-threatening illness for which there is no treatment or cure?
Have you ever become overwhelmed by the costs of your illness?

Have you ever had to rely on your family and friends to make a life-saving difference on your behalf?
Larry faced these conditions all at once. Larry was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, Emphysema, and Pulmonary Hypertension. There are no treatments for these diseases and there was no hope for him without a lung transplant.
Larry was evaluated and approved for a bi-lateral lung transplant at Emory University Hospital in April.

On May 14th Larry received the call from Emory saying they had lungs for him. His transplant was performed on the 15th with excellent results. Due to the generosity of the donor’s family, he received a very healthy set of young lungs (to use the surgeon’s words). Larry is recovering exceedingly well and was released to go home on the 31st of May. He is gaining strength each day by following his drug regimen very carefully and by following a vigorous program of Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

His recovery is great news, but with it comes enormous annual costs for post-transplant treatments and medications. I have known Larry and been his friend since the 5th grade (1953) so I offered to head up his fundraising committee. We are working to help Larry raise money to cover some of these costs. Fortunately, Larry qualified for a matched account in the Georgia Transplant Foundation’s (GTF) Fundraising Program, GTF will match every dollar we raise up to a maximum of $10,000, and then they will hold the money and administer the distribution for Larry’s medication expenses.
We need Your Support to reach the $10,000 Goal! Please consider making a donation to help us raise the funds Larry will need to buy post-transplant medications which will support the maintenance of his transplant.

How to Donate:

Checks/money orders should be made payable to Georgia Transplant Foundation with Larry’s name in the memo section of your check. Please mail checks/money orders to Georgia Transplant Foundation, Attention: Transplant Fundraising Program, 500 Sugar Mill Road, Suite 107-A, Atlanta GA 30350. An envelope is enclosed for your convenience. Thank you for supporting this life-saving campaign.
The Georgia Transplant Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial, educational, and emotional assistance to Georgia’s transplant community, is assisting us in our fundraising efforts. If you have questions or want further verification, please see the Georgia Transplant Foundation website at www.gatransplant.org or email TFP@gatransplant.org.
If you have already made a donation, please accept our thanks.


Sincerely,


Paul Roper



Committee Chairman

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! WEIRD SCIENCE, "Maidens"

(click on images to make them larger and readable)

Actually, it is "THE MAIDENS CRIED". The art was by Wally Wood and the story was probably inspired or stolen by EC Comics publisher Bill Gaines and editor Al Fieldstein. I don't think I have mentioned before that Gaines said his science fiction titles were his labor of love, but he said they also lost money. He made up for the lost because The horror titles raked in the money and then along came MAD.

Have a Good Rooting Tooting Shooting Weekend

Waterman Street School, 7th Grade 1949-50

The surviving people of this picture will be at least 75 years old this year.

(click on the picture and the back below to see and read better)

Happy Birthday Alphonse Gabriel Capone!

Or you can call him "Al" for short.
Al was born on this date in 1899. 

The Son of Hunt's

Sign hanging in the Marietta Museum of History

Last week I was rambling about Hunt's Ice Cream on this blog again and what I said flushed (if that is the right word) out some memories of Bobby McEntyre his own which are:

Phillip Hunt, Mr. & Mrs Hunt's only son, was a good friend  of mine. Played a lot of sandlot baseball and football on the Hunt property. Mr Hunt let us use the lower corner close to Delk Street to play our games.


I worked as a curb hop at Hunt's Ice Cream on Old Atlanta Road when I was 14.  It was one of my first jobs that paid by a real check. The ice cream was outstanding.  Mr. Hunt was the first ice cream company to offer vanilla and chocolate swirl. Caught the big guys off guard. Hunts could not keep up with the demand and had to put in extra hours at his plant.

Before the Big Chicken in Marietta

Not long ago we were talking of what all used to be where the Big Chicken is.  Everybody remembered Miss Georgia Dairies being there.

I brought up Zesto Custard Ice Cream.  As a kid I was impressed with Zesto.  What I liked about them was their birthday club.  On your birthday you got a free ice cream.  What a deal!   Then, just as Zesto got known in town a new store named Dairy Queen opened a store at Roswell and Park Streets.  I thought they were trying to copy Zesto and wouldn't last.

I also brought up that Johnny Reb's used to be where the Big Chicken is now.  See above ad.

K Cups

Before Christmas we bought a Keurig type of coffee maker.  It is not a Keurig coffee maker.  We bought is a Mr. Coffee machine that does the same function with K Cups as a Keurig machine.  It has a little water reservoir and a little cup holder for the K cups.  So far, so good.

After we bought the Mr. Coffee Keurig style machine and started buying coffee k cups it made me realize just how expensive the stuff is.  You see in black and white just how much you pay per cup of coffee.  Up until now, I have always bought a large container, and it was handled like bulk stock, it is hard to determine a unit price.  With k cups it is easy.  Painfully easy. 

It is cheaper than a cup at a coffee shop but still costly compared to the bulk price of a big container.  But to be fair, I am not drinking as much coffee now, which means less coffee to buy.

Just last week I forgot and left my used cup in the machine and Anna came along and heated up water for hot chocolate or tea.  When she discovered I left the last k cup she gave me the hot cup of coffee made from used coffee grounds.  It tasted as good as the first run, maybe just slightly weaker.  So, I need to cut down on the power of my caffine which means each k-cup twiced used is even better.  It is 50% cheaper and the 2nd cup just slightly weaker, which is a good thing.  Now, I am considering running the 3rd cup through.

We bought two little metal mesh cups to brew in the contraption also.  I hate to waste all the regular coffee I stockpiled.  I haven't perfected the mesh container brewing yet. We emailed Mr. Coffee and a nice lady in customer support or customer services emailed us and sent us a manual which did not come with our unit.  We wrote her back asking in more detail how to brew with the mesh cups.  She wrote back and (get this) recommended we contact the Keurig Company and ask them and sort of hinted that their machine is a duplicate of their's anyway.  I cannot bring myself to ask help from Keurig for a Mr. Coffee product.

Now, every time we buy groceries I buy a different brand of K-cups to see sample the different kinds and then I'll know what to buy mostly.  Beleive it or not, so far the "as-good-as-most-others" is Kroger's dark roasted brand, which is much cheaper.

Remember too, that McDonald's have senior coffee for  usually 56 ₵.
.

Janna's Wedding

Ed & Judy West

Today is the day for Roxie Mae West's funeral.  She was 99.  Her son Ed is a friend of mind. 

Anna and I went to the funeral home last night to pay our respects.  We saw friends we haven't seen in a long time.  Plenty of the people we haven't seen in since 2003 when Ed's daughter Janna was married.  These are the pictures I took that day.

Hazel (Ed's sister)

Janna West

Larry Ned Southern, Jr

Jerry Chastain

Larry Southern

Larry & Linda Bates Southern

Roxie West

Sue West (Ed's ex)

Todd & Brandon Southern

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! TWO-FISTED TALES "MUD"

Story by Harvey Kurtzman (probably) and art by Jack Davis (positive).  Click on each image in order to read the balloons and see the picture better.