HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

See You Next Year!

Where the Cuts in the Budget Should be

Here is a "forwarding" being forwarded around:

Salary of retired US Presidents .............$180,000 FOR LIFE




Salary of House/Senate .......................$174,000 FOR LIFE This is stupid



Salary of Speaker of the House .............$223,500 FOR LIFE This is really stupid



Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders ....... $193,400 FOR LIFE Ditto last line



Average Salary of a teacher ............... $40,065



Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN ....... $38,000



I think we found where the cuts should be made!

Where to Put the Gun in the Classroom

If teachers are allowed to bring guns to the classroom, where would be a good place to put their gun? 

Under lock and key?  No, it would take too long to get to.

Not under lock and key?  A lot of kids get killed yearly by guns that were not under lock and key.

On the teacher's body?  That would make a lovely class picture, about thirty 6 year olds with a motherly teacher with a holster, gun, and a cross strap of more ammo.  Or that same lovely school marm with a class of 9th graders who are at the age of inflated and trampled on egos...and there is that sweet little lady surrounded by egar to use gun students - how many are behind her?

And also remember that teacher you had years ago with a short fuse?  You could tell she just didn't like you but there was little she could do but shake you.  Now, with a gun handy what might she do to one of her irritants?

That Losy 47% Is Up To No Good Again!

Boy, Mitt Romney has their number!   He knows trash when he see it!  That lousy 47% just won't do right.

According to Uncle John's Bathroom Page-a-Day calendar, December 25, 2012:  47% of Americans say they will toss out the fruitcakes they received as holiday gifts.  Romney was right, that 47% just don't care about anything.

Happy Boxing Day!

Boxing Day is not a day to put up your dukes and box with an opponent.  Boxing Day is suppose to be the day that you show people your appreciation of their services.  I, personally, scattered out my Boxes last week.  I gave to the people that pick up the garbage, deliver our papers, and our mail.  I think their is an another one, I just can't remember what it is.... but the quesiton is did I remember at the time, and if I didn't did they make a mental note of it, whoever they are...or will they spit in my soup next year?

Today's Day

Who would have thunk it?  Today is National Eggnog Day.  And although Congress has never declare it to make it official, it is also National Christmas Eve Day!  Enjoy!  You can combine both days into one and add a little rum  if you want and really make a fool of yourself!

Triple Feature Reviews Today!

We rented three movies lately and I haven't got around to posting them until now.  The reason I picked today to do the reviews that Anna looks very busy in the kitchen, so I will look busy on the keyboard.

1.  THE CAMPAIGN directed by Jay Roach and starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis.  Both stars more or less play the type of character each has been type-cast for.  It is a comedy about dirty politics in North Carolina which I think some research has been done it doesn't wander far from the truth nitty gritty of actual happenings in politics and sticking it to Mr. Average Voter.  Strangely, there are two sinister evil billionaire brothers playing dirty politics to get their way and make money at the taxpayers expense, their last name is Motch that sort of rhymes with Kotch.; coincidental of course.  The movie is of course good over bad wins, which remember, is a movie, not real life.

2.  BUTTER.   BUTTER takes place in a small town in Iowa that has a butter carving contest every year and the winner goes on to the state competition.  The movie is a comedy about a lady who is a pretty good carver, which she learned from her husband, a previous winner.  She thought she would be a shoo-in but up comes an orphaned girl who has a natural talent for carving butter. The competition becomes fierce and underhanded.  Jennifor Gardner makes it look like she thinks she has a calling from God to present the best carving - it is her destiny, so to speak.  The orpan's name is Destiny.    Other than Jennifer Garden the movie stars Yara Shahidi, Ty Burrell and Rob Corddry.  It was directed by  Jim Field Smith.


4.  YOUR SISTER'S SISTER.  Another comedy but this one is more like a Woody Allen comedy - situations that you have to think about, where there is no clear answers to what is right or what wrong.  I think this movie may have orginally been written to be play.  It is all dialog with very little action outside a cabin.  I hate to spill the beans about the plot but how else can I say what it is about.  This is the basic of the conversation:  The man's late brother's girlfriend offered the man to use her parents' cabin so that he can get away from it all and contemplate his naval.... ream it out and get all tht cotton fuzz out of it.  When he arrives he discovers his friend's sister is also there, to be alone.  Then one seduces te other, which is hard to decide which one did the seducing and why.  The whole dialog and plot reminded me of something Woody Allen would cook up.  It was witty in a charming British way, not  bursting out laughter like you would see in a Will Ferrell or a Zach Galifanakis movie.  It was directed by Lynn Shelton and the actresses and actor were Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Mark Duplass.

My Flickr Site

If you see anything that interest you, keep checking.  I hope to dive into my old unsorted photos and properly place them on this, either that or make a fool of myself.

The link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicken-fat/

On This Day In History, December the 20th

1924 Adolf Hitler freed from jail early. 

What did he do?  Why, good behavior?  A technicality?  I know!  The good looking people always get special treatment.  Maybe he swooned the guards and they looked the other way while he just waltz out.  Either that or he was a pain in the ass. preaching to the inmates about the master race nonsense. 

Happy Evergreen Day!

Today is Evergreen Day, probably in honor of Christmas Trees that gave their lives so that you can know the meaning of Christmas:  Toys under the tree.

Enjoy it!  Remember the end of the world is Friday!  Put it on your Myran Calenders - opps!  That day shouldn't be there.

So Long Sen Daniel Inouye, You Will Be Missed

Senator Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) died yesterday.  He has been a Senator as long as Hawaii has been a state.

I remember seeing him during the Watergate Hearings.  He seemed to be sharp and could smell a cover up or a lie quicker than the others represenatives on the panel.  That was the first time I noticed the one-armed Japanese-American.  He lost his arm in WW II.

As I heard more about him and what all he had to overcome with no hard feelings the more I respected him.  Still do.

He was 88.

Heaven Help Us All

Mr and Mrs Nalls

I was a timekeeper at the Atlanta Post Office for about a dozen years.  One of my duties was to make a record of people late and have them sign a form recognizing they were late.

On Uncle John's Bathroom Calendar for the 13th of this month had a list of actual excuses people told for being late.  One of them was, "My husband thinks it's funny to hide my keys before he goes for work."

That reminded me of Mrs. Nalls.  She was late fairly often and each time on her slip she had to sign the reason she was late was some antic her husband pulled on her.  The excuse that stands out in my mind is one time, just as she got ready for work her husband slipped up and poured a bucket of water on her.

It was not my job to judge workers with attendance problems.  I just recorded them.  But to myself I thought her husband was getting a lot of blame she wa making up.

That was before one day her supervisor noticed a stranger working in his area and didn't know what he was doing.  He was rolling hampers of mail backward and forward and placing the tubs someplace else which caused a mass confustion.  After the supervisor questioned the stranger he learned that it was Mr. Nalls, who didn't work at the post office.

After that I beleived her excuses.  However, after months of tardiness problems they let her go.  Sad.

The Right to Shoot Innocent Humans

84 People were killed by mass murders in 2012 (so far).  We Americans have the right to bare arms.  I think that was originally meant for people to bare arms in their militia;  not to shoot every human in sight.

Speaking of mass murders in 2012, in China today a man with a knife stabbed 23 children to death.  Strange coincidence.  I don't  know if the 84 killed by mass murders included the China's deaths today or not.

Watch Out Bullies and Pranksters

Bullies and pranksters - you know who you are.  You never know who are messing with when you pick on them or play a joke on them on the telephone, especially if it puts them in an embarrassing position. 

And at the moment I have radio annouoncers who make prank calls on the air in mind.  It could backfire on you.  It would be best if you found another way to get the attention you desparetely need.

12-12-12

Today is December the 12th, 2012.  Or, 12-12-12.  Enjoy it, you will never see that number on the calendar again.

But on second thought, the next day should be 12-13-12.  You will never see that number again either, so fully enjoy that day too.

On this Date, Dec 11, in History

1917 13 black soldiers hanged for alleged participation in Houston riot

This is what I found on Wikipedia on Google, copied and pasted:

Precipitating causesAround noon August 23, 1917, two Houston police officers stormed into the home of an African American woman, allegedly looking for someone in the neighborhood, after firing a warning shot outside. They physically assaulted her, then dragged her partially clad into the street, all in view of her five small children. The woman began screaming, demanding to know why she was being arrested, and a crowd began to gather. A soldier from the 24th Infantry stepped forward to ask what was going on. The police officers promptly beat him to the ground and arrested him as well. Their official reports and later news reports stated the soldier was charged with interfering with the arrest of a publicly drunk female.[2] Later that afternoon, Corporal Charles Baltimore went to the Houston police station to investigate the arrest, as well as beating of another black soldier, and also to attempt to gain the release of the soldier. An argument began which led to violence, and Corporal Baltimore was beaten, shot at, and himself arrested by the police.[3]




[edit] The riotThe Camp Logan riot began the evening of August 23, when 156 angry soldiers ignored their officers' orders, stole weapons from the camp depot and marched on the city of Houston. They were met outside the city by the police and a crowd of armed citizens, frightened by the reports of a mutiny. A virtual race riot began, which left 20 people dead - four soldiers, four policemen, and 12 civilians. Order was restored the next day, and the War Department disarmed the soldiers. The Third Battalion was sent by rail back to New Mexico.[3]


Born: 1944 Brenda Lee [Brenda Mae Tarpley] Lithonia GA, country singer. Why would Brenda Mae Tarpley change her name to Brenda Lee?  Did she think it sounded too country?

Killed:
1964 Sam Cooke US, singer (You Send Me, Sad Moon), slain at a motel at 33

Due to Technical Problems We May Or May Not Be Down a Few Days

Keep checking!

Republicans Saving Public Money - Hah!

Sara Palen, Alaska governor

Jim DeMint, Senator of SC

John Bulloch, state senator of Georgia

Chip Rogers, state reprenative of Georgia

Glenn Richarson, Speaker of the House

Female elected official of Georgia was sent to prison for misuse of public money (I don't remember her name).


What do these people the above people have in common?  They left their office while in office, thus causing a special election.  One would think Richard M. Nixon and Spro Agnew would be included but their resination did not require a special election.  Most of the above did resign because of a scandal but some like Palen appeared to have resigned on a whim.

I had heard that state-wide special elections costs about a half million dollars.  Not all of the above would be state wide, but costly, never the less.

Republicans all the time appear to be concerned about government costs and claim to do all in their power to bring down the costs.

By the way, what else do the above people have in common?

The Wild Wild South

Rev John Henry Lance

I told you about my g-g-g-grandfather John Hunter moving to Union County, Georgia, to avoid paying taxes for his whiskey distillery business.

John and his wife had eight children.

One of his children was Rebecca (1812-1898).  Rebecca Hunter married Samuel Riley Lance (1814-1895).  They had twelve children.

Samuel Riley Lance was a good marksman.  In those times if you found yourself obigated to duel someone, it was perfectly legal to have someone stand in for you. 

A friend of Samuel had him stand in for him.    Samuel lived in Hayesville, North Carolina.  He went to Union County for the duel.  It was not a long trip, probably less than 40 miles.

After the duel and Samuel killed the man he looked around and liked what he saw and told some he would like to live there.  He moved his family to Union County.



One of his and Rebecca's sons, John Henry Lance (c1834 - 1890) married  Sarah Caroline Turner (1842-1916) in Union County, 27 August 1857.  They had thirteen children.

John Henry Lance lived a wild life in his youth of drinking, fighting, gambling, and whatever else.

Then he was born again, studied and became a preacher.  He preached against the evils of the kind of life he previously led, especially drinking spirits.  He developed a reputation of condeming drinking he became an enemy of his old friends.

One Sunday morning he when he was walking to church he came upon a creek and his old cronies were drinking.  They had words which became physical.  The bottom line was Rev John Henry Lance was decapitated during the fight.

It doesn't stop there.  His brothers and sons set out for revenge.  There is an excellent book about this by Charles Hill BLOOD MOUNTAIN COVENANT,A SON'S REVENGE.

What Were You Doing 71 Years Ago Today?

Under that odd-shape structure is the U.S.S. ARIZONA.  I know what the people inside were doing 71 years ago today - fighting for their lives. 

Today iln History, December 6,

1862 President Lincoln orders hanging of 39 Santee Sioux Indians.  Who said Abe had a bleeding heart when ilt came to issuing pardons?

The below was copied and pasted from on-line Google lookup:

"Largest mass hanging in United States history"


38 Santee "Sioux" Indian men

Mankato, Minnesota, Dec. 16, 1862

303 Indian males were set to be hanged



What brought about the hanging of 38 Sioux Indians in Minnesota December 26, 1862 was the failure "again" of the U.S. Government to honor it's treaties with Indian Nations. Indians were not given the money or food set forth to them for signing a treaty to turn over more than a million acres of their land and be forced to live on a reservation.



Indian agents keep the treaty money and food that was to go to the Indians, the food was sold to White settlers, food that was given to the Indians was spoiled and not fit for a dog to eat. Indian hunting parties went off the reservation land looking for food to feed their families, one hunting group took eggs from a White settlers land and the rest is history.



Information below tells how President Lincoln and Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey set out to exterminate Indians from their home land.



Authorities in Minnesota asked President Lincoln to order the immediate execution of all 303 Indian males found guilty. Lincoln was concerned with how this would play with the Europeans, whom he was afraid were about to enter the war on the side of the South. He offered the following compromise to the politicians of Minnesota: They would pare the list of those to be hung down to 39. In return, Lincoln promised to kill or remove every Indian from the state and provide Minnesota with 2 million dollars in federal funds. Remember, he only owed the Sioux 1.4 million for the land.



So, on December 26, 1862, the Great Emancipator ordered the largest mass execution in American History, where the guilt of those to be executed was entirely in doubt. Regardless of how Lincoln defenders seek to play this, it was nothing more than murder to obtain the land of the Santee Sioux and to appease his political cronies in Minnesota.



Scott Barta

Ratner Romney

Ratner Jewerly Company in England was an old established dependable jewerly company.  It was worth millions.  They even bought Kay Jewerly in America.  Then in 1991 the unthinkable happened, Gerald Ratner, the CEO of the time gave a speech to the at the Institute of Directors.  In the speech he said their jewerly was cheap crap sold for a high price and probably wouldn't last as long as prawn sandwich.  The speech was a joke, but it got in the wrong hands and was taken out of context.  The company quickly begin losing sales and their reputation.  They almost went bankrupt.*

After this when an executive in a company put his foot in his mouth and the public reaction of bad it was known as "Doing the Ratner".

When Romney was on the campaign trail, every time he said something unscripted, he did the Ratner.

It has been said that for a Christmas present the Republicans gave the Democrats Romney.


*UNCLE JOHN'S UNSINKABLE BATHROOM READER, p 80.

My Hunter Genealogy continued to John Hunter

I told you about Jason Henderson Hunter, lover and father of many.  Now, I will tell you what little I know about John Hunter (c1775-1848).

John Hunter was born in North Carolina, either in Burke or Buncombe County.  On one census he stated he was born in Virginia.  I think it may have been a clerical error.  We do not know who John's wife was.  Several people all have different names.  I have Polly Edwards.

Whomever his wife was, she and John had eight children.  His principle occupation was distilling; making whiskey.  When North Carolina imposed a tax he moved to Union County, Georgia.

One story handed down that John and his sons fought the Indians, made whiskey, and built the cabin they lived in.

I think maybe "fighting the Indians" might mean they help round them for the "Trail of Tears".  John's sons Jason and Andrew were soldiers on the Removal of the Indians to Oklahoma.

Above is a postcard pictue of John's cabin.  On the back of the card John's son-in-law Daniel England is given credit for building the cabin.  After John died Daniel and Peggy Hunter England moved in the cabin with Peggy's sister Margaret, who was already living there as John's caregiver.

I think the land then might have been raw unclaimed land and Daniel was the first to register the deed for the property.

I have been in that cabin several times and according to today's standard of living, it must have been very crowded. 

Today is National Roof Over Your Head Day

It is a day to be thankful for the roof over your head and whatever you have. 

Which is a day that excludes the homeless.  I guess they could be thankful for not being eating by rats...yet.