Marie's Postcards: Glover Park

Marie's Postcard Collection continued.  This is Glover Park in the center of downtown Marietta.  It is sort of a Mecca of OMs and OCs.  They gather here for festivals, outside concerts, and just to sit.  It was donated  to the city by John H. Glover.  The back of the card says Major John H. Glover but I'm not sure it wasn't MAYOR John H. Glover instead.  See how one letter can change everything?

Do you see anything differently about the park than any other time you have seen it?   There are no drunks!  I have been going to that park since I was a toddler and there were always staggering loudmouths drunks!  I remember when I was just a tiny kid I saw old weathered men take a brown paper sack out of their hip pocket and take a swig from it.  Now, it is  socially chic to sip wine  there and get charmingly    woozy. 

Corporate Meetings

Remember the Seinfeld  episode that Kramer somehow found himself  aimlessly in a big corporation.  I forgot why Roscoe Kramer was at the big corporation, that is not important anyway.  While there,  he was mistakenly included in a meeting of young executives.   While the young men were sharing their ideas Kramer threw in his profound thoughts.  They liked what he said.  He like the warm feeling of belonging so much he returned the next day to find more meetings to go to.

Remember that episode? 

It reminded me a true story  of a real large organization , as I remember it.  A young man in a department of a large organization was a pain in the ass   He was not productive, all he did was socialize and talked..  Once the organization was having some kind of meeting and they required a person from each department to attend.  They sent the young guy  that wasn't very productive at his job.

He liked it and asked to represent their department at future meetings.   They thought it was a great way to get him out of their hair for one or two hours at any future meetings.

He did not bring back any new information from the meetings he attended.  But he did go and socialized a lot.  I think I heard one time he even called a meeting for no apparent reason. 

I figure that each department had at least one person not very productive and might even be counter -productive, so send them to meetings.

OK - are you with me so far?  First Kramer did the fictitious meetings with a company he didn't even work for.  Then, a real person found happiness at meetings, sitting around talking  in an authoritarian  manner.

About once a month I take my mother-in-law to her eye doctor to the 9th floor in a building in the Cumberland area of  Smyrna.  The first seven floors are filled with the RaceTrak Corporation.    Once or twice a year RaceTrak offer free coffee  for about a week.  I suppose it draws more customers in to buy gas and eats.  I know it has drawn me in a bunch of times.  Nothing tastes better than free coffee, or it seems to at the moment, anyway.

One time in the elevator riding  up in the RaceTrak building a few young executives got in and rode a floor or two and got out.  Before they exited I asked when were they going to give out free coffee again.  One of the young man looked in space and said, "Maybe in about two months!"

Maybe that gave them something to talk about at the meeting they were going to. 

Cade's Cove's Church

These are pictures of an old country church that I took at Cade's Cove, Tennessee, several years ago.   They are no longer used as worshiping places but as museum relics to show us how people lived over a 100 years ago. 

You can see double entrance doors.  Churches back then  had two front doors, one for the women folk and one for the men folk.  They sat separately too.  If this church was still operational for what it was built for, if they kept their same format but  tried to keep up with today's trends, would they need four additional doors, two for the out of the closet gays and transsexuals.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving Traditions

Hunting

Hog Dressing

Dog Show

Family Dinner

Football

Hosea Williams' Feed the Homeless Program and Must Ministries

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Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Black Thanksgiving Sales (new)

Lighting of  Macy's Christmas Tree in Atlanta

Who has time to give thanks or relect?

The Jones young men cousins and brothers of the Alpharetta,-Milton area had a picture made of them in a car.  I noticed in several old pictures of family had their pictures made with a car as a studio prop.  Sign of the times. The men are on Anna's mother's mother's side of the family, but not ancestors.

The True Meaning of Bunnies on Easter

I  heard on the radio news that the Easter Bunny is giving Santa Clause, as for as gift giving goes, some competition.    Now it is becoming the thing to give children's gifts at Easter.  I didn't catch the details.  I was wondering  is there a big human adult size Eater Bunny that delivers  presents to all the good little boys and girls or what?

I heard on the same radio article that this is probably the work of toys manufacturers.

I don't know if this is a good thing or bad thing.  Whether the extra  merchandise will help the economy at the cost of taking away the true meaning of Easter or what.

I only have one bit of advice:  Don't bend over in front of a rabbit that is smiling.

Happy International Working Women Day

Today is International Working Women Day. 

There are less and less stay at home moms, well, in the middle class, anyway.   The exception is the upper crust - if they work they are professionals.

Back when I was growing up I don't think my father would hear of my mother working and I think she was glad he felt that way. 

This is International Working Women Day.  All over the world it is a celebration today for the women working.  Which reminds me, I read or saw on National Geographic channel  that in many parts of the world the woman is the prevalent bread winner of the family.  The wife goes out and works in a mill all day or fishes on a river bank or bake bread for the market, or even go out in the wilds and hunt game while the men folk hang around the center of town, usually near the fountain, or water hole,  where there is fresh water, and gossip and entertain each other with jokes., or fuss and feud.   Sounds like my home town.

Asheville and Blue Ridge Trip

We just got back from a mini-vacation to Asheville, North Carolina.  We had three objectives in mind: see Asheville again,  see the fall leaves, and go to Mount Mitchell, the highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi.  We succeeded in two of the objectives.  Here is a compact overview of what we did (Remember - it took us longer to do it then you to read it).

After leaving Willow at the pet boarding place with her clawing and whinning with a bewildred look on her face, we headed north.

We first stopped in Saluda, North Carolina.  Saluda is a pleasant  scenic little communilty with about a 3 or 4 block downtown main street with old antique buildings.  We stopped there because we read nice reviews on the Green River BBQ just outside of town on a high hill.  On their menu they did not offer pulled pork but offered chopped pork.  We prefer pulled pork.  They had a few unique items on the menu, one being Tomato Pie.  Tomatoe Pie wasn't worth all the ooohs and ahs on the reviews we read either.  The pie was too buttery, which has a way of staying with you.

When we entered the restaurant, about 1:30 it was crowded.  One long table with nine women and one elderly man were having a lunch - I think they all belonged to the same organization or the same family or something.  Out the window beside our table we could see some outside tables.  One table had about four outside workers taking their lunch break.  Another table a young couple sat.  I noticed the lady had shorts on.  You pay at the counter.  When the young couple came inside to pay I saw that she was not wearing shorts, she was wearing tight-ass jocky underwear.  They even had little same little logo figures all over it.  Her arm was also in a sling, but I wasn't studying the sling.  Anna's back was to the counter but I couldn't tell her to look because it would be obvious what she would be looking at and then everybody might turn around and look.  Before we left a lady came in and asked were they still open and they they were and she said GOOD! - She drove all the way from Ohio and wanted to catch them before they closed.  Her lucky day!

Our next stop was Hendersonville which was about eight or nine miles up the road.  I have a special interest in Hendersonville and the surrounding area. I suspect my great-great grandfather Jason Henderson Hunter was born in Henderson County and Hendersonville is the county seat.  My plan was to look over the countryside and terrain to get an idea of how it might have looked in the early 1800s.  The whole frigging place is paved over and buildings shooting up all over - and I think the slopes and hills have been bulldozed away many years ago.  We had reserved a room at the Hampton Inn in Hendersonville.  I decided I would not gain any knowledge on Jason Henderson Hunter by staying overnight there.  In the parking lot of the Hampton Inn we had reservations.  We called the Hampton Inn in Asheville to see if they had vacancies, then called and cancelled the reservations at Hendersonville which we had until 6pm to do so, then called back the one in Asheville and made reservatons.

Our new iphone, s-4 became very handy helping us on this trip on GPSing for us and supplying general information of things we wondered about on the trip.

Asheville was just a hop, skip, and a jump to the Hampton Inn on Tunnel Road.  We checked in and got our luggage in the room and went back out and rode around in the downtown area learning our way around.

We found the chocolate/coffee house French Broad River Chocolates.   We heard about it from our son Rocky and his wife Sabrina, they were in Asheville the week before.   We enjoyed sitting and eating unique kinds of baked goods.  We liked it so much we went back the next night.  The 2nd night was fairly crowded with college age young people, all casually lounging and doing their thing on their lap tops.

The staff were  jovial and laid back and didn't seem to mind if you justified your seat with buying things or not.

Wednesday morning we went on a tour of the city . . . or several tours.  On our first tour on the tourbus the tour guide lady told us the bus will make 10 stops.  You could get out if you wanted to and catch the next tour bus.  You have a little sticker symbol on your upper torso and the tour guide will let you get on.  She went on to say she recommends that you make the tour without getting off and decide what you would like to get out and see more of.  And that is what we did.  After the first go around tour, we broke for lunch.
That way we got the benefit of hearing three different views of tour guides.  The bottom lines were all the same, but the buildup and comments were different.  You get a more rounded view that way.

Two people who became world know writers, O'Henry and Thomas Wolfe were born in Asheville and are buried in the same cemetery.  Not much was said about O'Henry but I heard two different stories about Thomas Wolf and his interesting money-grubbing mogel mother.  It made me want to read LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL.

Another writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in Asheville for a while at the Grove Park Inn.  His wife was an inmate at a nearby insane asylum.  She died in a house fire at the facillity.  It was said Fitzgerald drunk up to 32 bottles of beer a day while writing.  His room was very near where people checked in for a room, and if it was a young cute lady checking in he would make his move - so the one of the tour guides said.

Charleston Heston lived in town for a while where he picked up acting on stage and moved on to the movies.  Another entertainer who lived in town for a while was the Yodeling Brakeman, Jimmy Rogers, he had a  local radio show.

We went back and spent more time looking around the Grove Park Inn.  The Grove Park Inn was created by Edwin Grove who made a fortune on a patented Scarlet Fever preventive medicine. 

The Grover Park Inn is a luxurious resort, listed as one of the top 20 luxurious inns in America.  On one of the wide corridor's wall are pictures of 20 presidents (10 Republicans and 10 Democrats) who have visited the place and other famous people such as Will Rogers.  We were just checking on how the uppity 53% lived.

On our break between tours we ate at Luella's's BBQ.  The same as the Green River BBQ they did not offer pulled pork, only chopped.  Both places served hush puppies with the bbq.  It must be a North Carolina thing.  Another thing about Luella's's, according to one of our guides, the building is the original A and W Dogs and Rootbeer Drive-In building. 
The tour(s) were great and it appears that George Vanderbilt and Edwin Grove both got the city a power start into the 20th Century by their pet  enterprises.

When we finished looking at the Grove Park Inn we went to the spot to wait on the next bus.  I counted about 18 to 20 other people waiting.  We were just about a full load already, not counting the ones already on the bus.  Luckily enough, what I didn't realize there were two sets of people waiting for two different tour buses.  So it worked out.  I mean it worked out on that stop.  On the next stop more people got on than got off.  And the next stop we were more than the legal capacity.  Then we drove up to the crowd waiting to get on the bus in the art district.  The driver had to tell them he could not allow them on the bus, it would be illegal, so he called his supervisor and they bickered back and forth on the phone.  The funny part was that his speaker mike was still on and we all listened.  He said one time, "Well, I got to tell them something!"  He finally told the crowd outside they would be sending another bus out to pick them up.  It seems that would be a problem every day as the people of probably 32 tour trips went back to their favorite spots and at the end of the tour day, picking up the amout of tourists would snowball.  Oh well.

That evening we had dinner at the Lobster Trap/Oyster House and I tried out their own beer.  It was pretty good, with a heavy taste.  The food was good too, and as already mentioned we revisited the French Broad Chocolate place....which by the way, the river that flows nearby is the French Broad River.

I should throw in now that the French Broad River is one of the few of rivers that flow north and as one of our guides pointed out, it has something to do with the continental divide.  Also, speaking of the French Broad River one of my Hunter ancestors' son owned a tavern on the French Broad River  nearer to Tennessee.

While I am pointing out genealogical things about my relatives and Asheville, one of my Killian relatives was one of the early pioneers of Asheville and had church meetings at his house when the circuit traveling Methodist minister came to town.  One of his descendants lived on a small portion  that would be the Biltmore Estate.

The next day, the last day, we packed our car, checked out, went downtown and had breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe, a place known for their breakfasts.  We split a huge pancake, an omelet, and an order of apple cured bacon.  While we were waiting the waitress brought over biscuits, blueberry jelly, and honey.  When we left we were stuffed.

When we left the cafe and I was getting my camera out of the car a young man approached us and ask us to use our parking space.  We said it was OK with us, but first we wanted to take some pictures in the park across the street.  He told us to take our time.

While we casually took pictues in the park the young man set up his vender cart. He was ready to sell sandwiches, or whatever.  His car was right in the street near the left taillight of our car, with the emergency lights blinking.  As we pulled off, he pulled in.

Recognize the post card below?  It is by J. Scott Graham.  I think it is similar to the photograph that was on the book 13 MOONS by Charles Frazier.  It does well representing the Blue Ridge Mountain Chain.  In a old S H Kress Co Five and Dime Building that is now an art and antique mall a few doors down from  the Tupelo Honey Cafe  we found a large print of the one on the 13 Moons cover and bought it.

We headed north up the Blue Ridge Scenic Highway to Mount  Mitchell, the tallest point east of the Mississippi.

The leaves were just about at their peak, beautiful!  At one of the lookout places where you could see a whole valley or a ridge of mountains before you two young ladies were there that just came from Mount Mitchell.  They told us to turn back.  Mount Mitchell was in a cloud that day.  You couldn't see anything but white.  We scoffed at the idea, saying it was fog and it would burn off by the time we got there.  Another person, sitting in his car stuck his head out the window and said "No it won't!"  We found out the hard way they were right.

We kept on going.  Not too long up the ridge the whiteness of a cloud surrounded us and we could not see more than 15 or 10 feet ahead of us.  I had to stay on the car in front of my bumper to see his tailights.  We drove that way for ten miles at about 10 miles per hour.

Then we saw an angel in the cloud looking at us.  We interrupted her deep meditation time.  Naw, I'm just pulling your leg.

We saw a ranger's station and visitor's center and pulled in.  We walked in the buildling and ranger lady was standing by her heater.  Anna asked her, "What is out there?" 

The ranger looked a little scared and said, "I don't know!"

We both had to use the rest room.  The women's restroom was down steps one side of the building and the men's restroom was down the the steps on the other side of the buildng.   We decided to both use the women's restroom.  Why separate when it was in strange lands?  We were the only tourists around . . . we thought.

We both went into the restroom. I used one stall and finished before Anna.  I stepped out of the stall and the door opened and in walked a middle age woman.  I said, "Sorry about that."

She waved her hand and said  "No problem" .


On the way back down the road where we came from I had an addtional problem.  I had no tail lights to follow close behind.  Instead I followed the center yellow line.

After several minutes I looked in the rearview mirror and about four cars were following me.  The fools!

After we got half way down from the mountain range the day was as sunny as we left it two hours ago.

We got on a different route to go home.  We went on Highway 74 going west across North Carolina.  For a good many miles we followed the Natahala River.  The river is rocky and shallow, perfect for white water sports. Some people have put up raft rentals up and down the river for the young at heart folks.  For the old farts they put up a restaurant overlooking the river to watch the white water rafting.  Something for everybody!  The food was too greasy.

Interesting this recreation area  of the river is only about 4 or 5 miles west of where my Ray and Trammell ancestor families lived in the 1800s and a lot of the Ray descendents still do.  We have been there  several times.

We entered Georgia in Fannin County, near the town of Blue Ridge.

Our last stop of our mini 3 day vacation was to get apples in East Ellijay.   When you go through north Georgia in October you must stop and buy apples in Ellijay.  It's the law. The big barn where we bought apples, sweet potatoes, and apple cider, the old country codger who waited on us came out with his home made Will Rogers wit, his warm grandpa image, and fair acting business man, all rolled into one.  I bet he has to practice on all the personalities he puts forth there.

Now, home sweet home.

Pictues we took will follow in a day or so, as soon as I pick out the suitable ones.

Checking Out the Movie THE HUNGER GAMES

Now that THE HUNGER GAMES has been released on video I was in no rush to see it.  In fact, I dreaded seeing it.  I hate what appeared to be a sadistic movie.

Wait!  The movie makers know that too.  Movies with terrible predictable endings to not sell.  However, movies with good predictable endings people do see.  Chances are, the movie would have a happy ending.  I kept telling myself that during it.  I did not bury my head once.

The plot is that young people's names are thrown into an electronic pot and two names from each district are drawn.  There are 12 districts, thus 24 young people's names will be drawn.  These young people will fight each other to their deaths, until only one winner remains.    It is planned to take the common people's mind off what drugery of lives they live.

I think anyone remembers or was exposed to it, cannot help but thinking of the short story THE LOTTERY, written by Shirley Jackson  and published in THE NEW YORKER in 1948, when the subject of THE HUNGER GAMES come up.  THE LOTTERY is about a small typical town in America that  is as typical Smalltown U.S.A. as you can get. EXCEPT:  Once a year, on June the 27th the kids of the town gather up rocks and the grownups have a lottery.  The winning number is stoned to death.  They do it to insure their crops will come in successful.  I remember a made-for-TV version came out when I was a kid. It was in black &; white.  I think I left the room before the certain ending.  I don't like to watch things like that.

In THE HUNGRY GAMES there are all types of electronic surveilance gadgets so all of the population can watch the games and see the close-up of faces as they are killed.

It is much like reality TV and the news.  We as a people love to see closeups of people faces when something bad happens to them.  Tch tch.  Shame on us.

Another thing the movie reminded me of was the Republican Eleminations for Presidential hopefuls.  It started off with a large number of men and woman, each getting bashed at debates until one at a time they let go of the race and one remained standing.

It is a high-energy movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Jennifer Lawrence escapes one near death experince after another.  After you accept Jennfer Lawrence is the heroine and heroines don't die, it is bad for business, it is a good action flick - and predictable.... but sad too, when someone likeable is killed.

  I remember seeing Jennifer Lawrence the first time in WINTER'S BONE, where she is trying to survive with her family in the Ozarks.  In THE HUNGER GAMES and WINTER'S BONES both she has to care for a docile mother.  I hope she isn't type-cast for only parts that call for being a caregiver for her parent

The Keyboard Is Mightier Than The Sword

This is a new experiment for me. I am posting from my i-pad. I know, I know, people do it all the time. Well, they had to do it the first time also. Speaking of other people and tech-o advancements it is sort of expected for people to be on top of the latest gadget. I think that is why you see people all the time doing something to their smart-phones - I think most of the time  they are in a learning mode because they just purchased the latest improved one. It will take them about two weeks to learn that one and maybe in four or five weeks they will have to buy another latest that has more options.

The other week we were haggling with Lowe's about coming to repair something and before they would continue to connect us to the department we needed to talk to they insisted on having our cell phone numbers. I told them the numbers but told the person I was talking to for him to put a notation that we never turn them on unless we go somewhere. Yesterday we missed an important call from Lowe's because we didn't go anywhere. They only tried our cell phones. AARRGGggggg.

Speaking of modern gizmos that it  is expected for people to have is a fax machine. At least twice, maybe thee times, in the past months someone has asked me to fax them something or visa-versa. Their jaws drop (yet the frozen smile stays) when I say we don't have a fax machine.

Which reminds me, a few years ago was a special on TV of barbecue joints in and around Atlanta. We love to try out bbq dives whenever we can, so we taped the program on our VCR. My neighbor, 87 year old Jim, told me several times he loved good bbq, so I thought I would be neighborly if I lent him our tape. I carried the VCR tape over for him to borrow - he didn't ask for it, I thought I would suprise him. I rung his doorbell, he came to the door and I told him what it was and reached to give it to him. He didn't take it, but said, "We don't have a VCR". My jaws dropped but I kept smiling.

NOTE!! The Below is a Satire on Ad Campaigns

Hello. I ran away from home with and joined a carnival when I was ten years old. A lot of grownups I worked with had tattoos and I said, “What the heck…” and got one myself. It wasn’t enough, I got a few more to fit in with my new peers.

Later, after I quit the carnival I was arrested for arm robbery and was sent to prison. I learned in prison a person with a lot of tattoos looks intimidating and gets more respect and privileges. To be the kingpin of the prison yard, I had some homemade tattoos added. After that, big dangerous thugs serving time for assault, battery and murder would step out of my way. Man, that was living!

I have my eccentricities like everyone else, but I am just a plain ordinary guy. My name is Snake-Eyes Shaw and I’m a Mormon.*

*(just jesting).

Do Your Thang at Dragon Con

This Labor Day weekend in Atlanta a lot of things are going on. Among them is Dragon Con; which appears to be an endless hoard of people roll playing and in costume. The one time I went, I think there were more emphasis on the artists of the comic book publishing world than the creatures and monsters of the cinema world.

They are doing their thing. So, am I, as I type.

Statistics again - What's In a Number?

The average American wedding is attended by 189 guests.*
189 guests? I don’t even have that many Facebook friends and probably 10 to 20% of those I have never met face to face.


*UNCLE JOHN’S BATHROOM READER page-a-day calendar, Sat/Sun July 9, 10, 2011.

Streakers at the Superbowl

Not long ago on NP Radio Saturday morning program “WAIT WAIT, DON’T TELL ME.” Mark Roberts was mentioned and his big disappointment.

The other day on The Today Show it was said that TV time for commercials during the Super Bowl cast about $100,000 a second. Ten second is a million bucks. Not bad.


After a little Google searching: Mark Roberts is a devoted streaker. He has streaked at just about every notable national sports event for a while. As of 2009 he has streaked 380 times. Mark is British and father of three.

What would drive a person to streak in front of thousands of people? I think his back has the answer. I read there is a big tattoo on his back which has a name of big gambling casino operation.

Do you think that he might just be a running billboard?

I haven’t read that he has a tattoo on his front side or not. I doubt it, I doubt if the eyes are on his chest

I suppose at the XXXVIII Super Bowl, in Houston, February 1, 2004, Mark had plans on running out across the playing field and earning some big bucks.

Unfortunately for Mark, he chose to run after the half time shows, which Janet Jackson had a “wardrobe malfunction” at.




Janet overshadowed Mark. Mark’s streaking was hardly noticed.

Mark is no longer allowed in the United States. But Janet is.

Primary Election

The detective drove into the parking lot. He parked near the door reserved for officials. The sign by the door said, “VOTE HERE.” He went inside the building. It was the day of the Primary Elections. The deputy on duty nodded his head to the detective and also used his head to motion towards a little man sitting over to the side by himself. He looked nervous.

The detective approached the man, showed him his badge and introduced himself. Normally, to win someone over, he would appear to be “looking out for them”; he would hold out his hand and shake it. This time he did not offer his hand. He did not want to be seen shaking hands with this man. He thought people might talk.

To his knowledge, he has never seen a real Democrat before. In his thirty plus years of life he had heard only bad things about Democrats. During his formative years it was just understood that Democrats were mean and vicious people. He was always told you just can’t trust a Democrat.

The detective said, “I am a county detective. Your name?”

“The nervous little man told him.

“I need to look at your ID. I’ll like to ask you a few questions.”

The little man’s face was red. “Ww-h-h-yy?” He took out his wallet and took out his drivers license and handed it to the detective. The detective compared the picture on the license and wrote down the name and address.

“Are you nervous?” The detective gestured the little man to walk through the door. The detective knew it was an empty room with two chairs and a table – just for incidents like this.

“Well, yes – the poll officers told me to have a seat after I handed in my ballot. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Your ballot? Who did you vote for?”

“That is personal and private.”

“So, you are one of those kind? Was it a Republican Primary ballot or a Democrat Primary ballot? (the detective already knew the answer) – that is not breaking some kind of communist civil liberties law is it?”
“It was a Democrat Primary ballot.”

“Exactly! We find Democrats hard to tolerate in these parts!”

“Is it against to law to vote Democrat around here?”

“Not yet! – but I would like to ask you a few questions …” The detective put his laptop computer on the table, opened it up, and turned it on. With a few clicks it opened up to the screen he was seeking. He looked at the top of the list and asked him where was he February the 18th, 1962.

“I wasn’t born yet” .

“Hmmfff! When were you born Mr. smart aleck?”

He told him. Joe started at that date and starting asking questions about where he was on certain dates. Each time the little man answered he was an adolescent living with his parents in another state; or college in New England; military training;, in a war, and one time he was even in a coma from that war.

It occurred to the little man that the detective was trying to solve some of the unsolved crimes on the books and of course it was the general understanding that all Democrats were always up to no good which meant he was a likely suspect, until the detective found out he had an alibi for almost every one.

There was a crime a few months ago: Someone was throwing rocks on top of cars driving under a bridge. No one was ever arrested.

The detective said, “You cannot prove to me that you were not the one that were throwing those rocks off the bridge! You did it! I know you did! Get your ass up, we are going to the station!”
The man said, “Wait! I have a confession to make!”

The detective said, “Lets have it!”

“The only reason I voted on the Democrat ballot was to vote for the weakest candidates, which will be easiet to beat in November.”

Tuesday broke into a big smile, pulled him over and shook his hand then hugged him. “Son, why didn’t you tell me that! That an’t against the law! That is just smart, like playing chess.” Go on home now!

Christmas Is...

I remember many years ago Rich’s Department Store advertising came out with the statement CHRISTMAS IS RICH’S* Or was it RICH’S IS CHRISTMAS?

Either way, it meant just about the same.

Jennie Tate Anderson** got up a campaign to end the slogan and I think she succeeded. Or, maybe it was too late to stop it for that year, but I don’t recall seeing the slogan the next Christmas season.

Now, it might be time to rethink the statement Rich’s is Christmas. Use Rich’s as a noun that describes wealthy people and not the department stores. And change ”is” to “get”. Now it might read something like “The Rich get Christmas.” That implies that the poor don’t, which is true.

I heard on the news lately that with this out of whack economy there is a bigger gap between the Have’s and Have Nots. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer.

It reminds me once I heard a person who grew up in a poor family saY he thought he and his siblings were bad and his well-off school mates were good because Santa left them presents at Christmas. And of course it was common knowledge that Santa left presents only to the good little boys and girls.



Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

*In a way, you can’t blame Rich’s for thinking they were Christmas, in the Atlanta area anyway. They started the Christmas season each year by the ceremoniously lighting of the famous Christmas tree that was always very tall and usually cut down in north Georgia. They documented the tree’s trip to Atlanta each year on the local news and interviewed the ones who owned it. Rich’s was two buildings on Forsyth Street. There was a multi-level bridge above Forsyth Street which connected the two Rich’s buildings. There were either four or five levels. During the famous lighting of the Christmas Tree every Thanksgiving night, different entertainers would sing or recite something from each level, at different times, of course. Then also, during the Christmas shopping season on top of one of the Rich’s buildings on Forsyth Street was the famous Pink Pig Railway. It was a little choo choo train with an engine that looked like a pink pig. Kids loved to go shopping with their parents to get to ride the Pink Pig.

The downtown Rich’s has been bulldozed away and Macy’s now owns the shopping centers Rich’s which now are, of course, Macy’s, and the Pink Pig is at one of them and so is the lighting of the Christmas Tree, but it just isn’t the same.

**Mrs. Anderson was very much a philanthropist locally. she and her husband helped the needy in Marietta in many ways. Once after I got out of the Navy I went to a presentation to save our landmarks in Cobb County. The speaker was Mrs. Anderson (I think she also ran the slide projector). Also, she was an office volunteer in the office at Marietta High School.

Something Went Wrong

This is my 100th Youtube video.

And I am still trying to figure out how this camera works.
If you have driven on Hawkins Store Road between the soccer fields and Canton Road you probably have noticed it. If you haven’t please report to the nearest Georgia State Patrol office and give yourself up.
The jest of this video is abandoned property. The people who just lost it had big plans and high hopes. They wanted a beautiful outside setting with a wedding/chapel gazebo and huge reception hall that could host parties and banquets of all kinds.

It was a grand and noble project.

Then some things unforeseen started to happen. The county building inspectors disapproved a f second floor. They disapproved of some other things on the building also.

Work on the building came to a halt. I don’t know if it was the county’s disapprovals or that they ran out of money.

The owners filed for divorced. They went bankrupted. I don’t know which came first.

All the plans fell apart and the property and the building were foreclosed on.

Now, the plants in the green house have been unattended and halve grown wild. It reminds me of The Little Shoppe of Horrors.

The place is deteriorating look about it and graffiti without the art is popping up. I didn’t show you the inside of the building which has a lot of messages and a lot of four letter words. There was not enough light to video. You didn’t miss anything. There was no art to it, like you see on railroad box cars.

What Will They Think of Next?

This is a LI’L ABNER newspaper cartoon strip, by Al Capp, published in 1941, the year I was born.

Notice that Li’l Abner and his parents are confused over the “tellyphone”, a new gadget that talks.

When I see my sons with their ipods, blackberries, and whatever else new in the world of electronic gadgetry I know exactly how the Yokum family feel.

“What will they think of next?” Has probably been the most rhetorical question since the invention of peanutbutter

Good Will Ambassadors: Mariachi Band

Wednesday night we thought about having Mexican food as we just about every Cinco de Mayo day. Some times we do and sometimes we are overwhelmed at the waiting line and move on.

This time we went to Tequeria Pure in Woodstock. Their logo is the old PURE service station sign. Two can ride that logo.
As far as I can tell there is not much Mexican about Tequeria Pure except the tequila, names of items on their menu, and the bus-person.

We pulled into the parking area, which is just across the tracks on Main Street in Woodstock. The parking lot was crowded with cars. It took some doing to find a parking place, and even then, we had to cheat a little.

People were all over, inside, outside, and even on top at Tequeria Pure. We walked into the first little room and people waiting to be called were sitting and standing around. I thought we would probably put our name on the list and then after a while get tired of waiting and leave.

The hostess said, “For a party of two?”
Yes, a party of two.
she picked up two menus and said, “Follow me.”

Now, how did we pull that off? I didn’t slip her a twenty or anything like that. And I’m sure it was not the way I smiled at her.

When we were walking up I heard what might be loud music in a distant place but didn’t think about it…I was too busy trying to estimate our waiting time. When we followed the hostess into the main dining room the music was blasting loud.

There was a Mexican Mariachi Band blasting away. They were probably six or more of them. They all wore black velvet looking clothes with shiny buttons or sequels all over the seams. Also matching black Mexican floppy sombreros. Some had brass horns and some had guitars.

They were loud, high energized and good. They were playing and singing Goldie oldies.

I looked around the room and everybody, all north of the border looking, seemed to be appreciating and keeping up with the timing of the music.

I also noticed every waitress I could see had on low-cut blouses and probably push-up bras.

We both ordered pulled pork burritos, which of course, was served with rice. The burritos were pretty good.

Back to the musicians: I noticed they stayed in a loose group. At times one might stray from the group and serenade sweet nothings into a female’s ear. They would play in one part of the room and after a few songs move down a few tables. I think they did that for tip availability. After the well runs dry in one section it is time to move on.

Eventually they were surrounding our table and the table next to us strumming and honking away. Even we broke down and gave them a tip, which I hope they realize what a complement that is, a couple as frugal as us giving them a fin.
After they played us, or played their instruments around us they went up a stairs near to where we were sitting. The stairs went up to the roof. There were a lot of people up there also.

I thought it would be a nice special effect if they all played and sung as they climbed the stairs. From the bottom where we were sitting the music should get fainter and fainter and up top the music should grow louder and louder and they emerged from the top of the stairs. Well, evidently, they didn’t of that.

So, we near the bottom of the stairs and those at the top of the stairs just heard “clunk clunk” of about twelve feet.

I think a lot of people there enjoyed the positive vibes the were giving out with their music. They were goodwill ambassadors looking for tips.

Next door, in the old Woodstock Depot is the Right Wing Tavern. True! That is the name of the joint. Although up to this point I have not seen the clientele from the Right Wing Tavern I imagined them to be rough and ready to give the Mexican Mariachi Band members a hard time.

We finished our meal, settled our bill and left. Standing outside the door of the Right Wing Tavern were two feeble old men listening to the Mariachi Band music and looked to be enjoying it.

Kentucky Derby Traditions

Today is the day for the Annual Kentucky Derby.*

*Not to be confused with the Pinewood Derby for Webelo Cub Scouts, which also is an annual event.


One of the traditions of the Kentucky Derby is flowers. There are brightly covered flowers all over the place.

People will come from all over the world to be at the Kentucky Derby today. There are traditions upon traditions to be carried out today.

Why did some of the travel almost half –way around the globe to be there? One of the traditions is to be seen at the Kentucky Derby. There will be movie stars, politicians, and royalty there… far separated from the commoners of course. You are nobody if you are not seen at the Kentucky Derby.


Here is Hugh Hefner and some of his girl friends to prove he is still has it, money, that is.




How do you get to be seen at the Kentucky Derby? Wear a very loud hat. I’m sure there are hat-makers known for their hand-made bold brightly color one-of-a-kind hats and they probably have a waiting list years long.





Also, I think it would be a faux pas to be had been seen wearing the same hat two years in a row. That is where Fred’s Pimp-Haberdashery- On -Wheels can help you out.


The food and drink is also a tradition at Churchill Downs that day. Of course, there will be gallons of mint julep and Kentucky bourbon drank that day. Kentucky barbecue beef and pork will be daintily gobbled up. The Derby has its own special way of making hamburgers and barbecue chicken. And I bet there will be Kentucky Fried Chicken there too.

If you watch the events unfold on live TV you will hear some very heart warming stories. There will be some tragic stories with sad endings and some long-shot winning stories, with of course, happy endings.
Long-shot? That reminds, me there is another Kentucky Derby tradition. I forgot what it is. Wait! I got it!

They also have a horse race.