I ended up on the front page.

The Daily Dispatch 10/21/2008, Page A01

Comments in Granville get personal
BY WILLIAM F. WEST DAILY DISPATCH WRITER OXFORD — A preelection candidate forum in Oxford on Monday night turned into an intense verbal clash between Democratic state Sen. Doug Berger and one of the local Republican leaders, Jimmy Chalmers. And that was followed by a spur-of-the-moment emotional remark aimed at Berger by Connie Stires, who is the wife of Berger’s GOP opponent, Chuck Stires. The situation erupted nearly 50 minutes into the nearly hour-and-10minute-long session, but stemmed from Berger’s remarks earlier in the forum in which he argued the state government had a surplus in 2000. Berger argued that, in North Carolina, “We have a balanced budget. And over the past four years we have taken the surplus that we have had and invested it principally in education while at the same time we have an $800 million rainy day fund.” PLEASE SEE PERSONAL, PAGE 6A

PERSONAL, from page one

And Berger argued that, “We have been good stewards of your money.” Berger is up for reelection Nov. 4 in a 2006 rematch with Stires. Some minutes later, state Rep. Jim Crawford, a Democrat also up for re-election, took his turn at the podium. Crawford, who is one of the chairs of the state House Appropriations Committee, told the audience, “We’ve got a lot of very serious problems that we’re facing in the North Carolina Legislature.” According to Crawford, the state has spent much money and has tremendously increased the education budget, but has faced tremendous inflation. Crawford argued the state is trying to ensure the young people “are ready to take the jobs of the future” instead of the jobs of the past. Then, Crawford stated, “We’ve got a serious budget problem this time. It looks to me like we’re going to be a little over $2 bill ion — with a ‘B’ — short. That’s about a 10 percent shortage in our state budget. “So there will not be dollars available for the kind of issues that we’ve been funding in the past. And there’ll be some serious budget cuts,” Crawford added. Later in the forum, after the floor was opened to questions, Chalmers, who is the Granville County Republican second vice chairman, asked Berger about stating the budget is balanced has is rainy day fund when Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat, is indicating the state will come up short and Crawford moments earlier forecasted at least a $2 billion shortfall. “So, sir, which budget are we discussing here?” Chalmers asked. “Is the budget actually running behind? Are we actually going to be short or is there lots of money laying around in Raleigh that we haven’t spent yet?” Berger argued Chalmers mischara cterized his position, which he restated. “However, your party in Washington has run this country in the ground,” Berger, his voice rising, told Chalmers. “Your party spent $10 billion in Iraq and that’s less than all that we’ve had for child health insurance.” Chalmers argued that he was not discussing what was going on in Washington, but that “I’m concerned with what’s going on with the state budget in Raleigh.” As Oxford attorney Willie Darby, moderating the forum, called for order, Berger stated that, while he would answer the question, “I’m not going to debate the Chuck Stires right-wing coalition.” “Let’s keep our tact,” Darby advised. “Let’s not make ’em personal.” Berger argued that the state will have to make cuts, that the whole system of mortgage lending has been destroyed and that Uncle Sa m will have to spend at least $700 billion to bail out the banking system. “But,” Berger said, “point is, I’ll put up (Democratic U.S. Senate candidate) Kay Hagan’s record, my record, Jim Crawford’s record, up against (Republican U.S. Sen.) Elizabeth Dole, John McCain or George Bush, because one thing we do, we pay the bills. Crawford declined Darby’s offer to comment. Then, Connie Stires faced Berger. In a soft voice, she stated that, for a time, she worked in the school system in Massachusetts. “And when I came back, I was very distressed at what I saw,” she recalled. She went onto to add that she was for a time working at North Carolina’s Teacher Education Consortium, where part of her job was to compile the answers to questionnaires. Her eyes nearly in tears, she stated, “I was appalled at the grammar of the teachers who were teaching the children” and added that she today constantly corrects one of her own grandchildren. She went on to express concern about the effectiveness of the money being spent in terms of performance in the classrooms. Berger replied that he sees the schools system fundamentally different from her and Chuck Stires and went on to argue that the Bush administration&# 8217;s “No Child Left Behind” was a good concept, but that the money did not follow the program. At the same time, Berger, his voice again rising, argued that one of the reasons North Carolina is top-ranked nationally in business investment is because of a first-rate university system, with most of the students coming from within the borders. “So all this bashing of North Carolina schools, I don’t buy,” Berger said. “I see Granville County as on the cutting edge in particular.” Chuck Stires supports parents having the right of school choice and favors lifting the statewide limit on charter schools. Berger, addressing Connie Stires, argued, “I am the only Democrat to be a primary sponsor of lifting the cap on charter schools, but they’ve got to be done properly and for the right reasons.” Contact the writer at bwest@hendersondispatch.com.

Who is brave enough...

...to admit they love Abba? You?




If you love Abba music, you will love the new film Mama Mia.

Are you brave; brave enough to show up at a theater with me in 70's clothing proud that you are an old fart loving old 70's music?! I dare ya.

Bare Feet are for Beaches...

I have a friend that graduated from Duke University. He is a smart fella that helps folks invest money and he is good at his work. After marriage to another Duke grad, they decided to make Durham their home. The family of six now lives in a house built in late 1967 or early 1968. The age of the house was simple to figure out, the porcelain of the basement toilet was stamped with September 11, 1967 as the date the toilet was made forty years ago.

Parts of the house are starting to show the forty years of life and families that have called the place home. The kitchen is dated in size and layout, the windows are not energy efficient, the exterior needs to be painted about every five years, and the plumbing has small leaks. One of the small leaks happened to be in a drain pipe where two full bathrooms come together. You have the wear and tear of two toilets, two showers and three vanity sinks flowing through this one drain pipe. Made of three inch copper the drain pipe had seen better days. Years of mineralized water had finally rotted a small split in the bottom of the pipe.

This family called me to make the repair, which I was glad to do. Last Friday I was there and decided the pipes needed to dry out before repairs were made. The family was going to use the basement bath for the weekend and on Monday I would return to make the needed repair.

Over the weekend, my friend and patriarch of this Durham family decided to replace the flush valve of the basement toilet. A simple household repair for the DIYer. Remember this, when you have only one toilet working over a weekend and six people living in a house, DO NOT attempt to upgrade the flush valve of a forty year old toilet, it WILL anger the old plumbing, old toilet, don't work on a Sunday after noon gremlins. In forty year old toilets there is ALWAYS one rusted bolt. On Sunday after noon this wonderful man, father, husband, financial guru tempted fate. In the process he broke the toilet tank and sharp chunks of sharp porcelain fell on his foot...and cut it...deeply...to the point he had to go to the ER on Mother's Day after noon and receive nine stitches. How did the sharp porcelain cut his foot? This intelligent man was involved in a DIY project barefooted.

Story ends now. You need not further explanation. I will end with this....
DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY HOME REPAIR IN YOUR BARE FEET.

Get a load of thissssssssssssssssss....

Last night Katy and Creech came home with a great story. They were driving on a two lane rural highway between Oxford and Louisburg. They were behind a mini-van that was driving at a normal speed. Suddenly, the van began to swerve back and forth all over the road. The drivers door opened and closed several times as the van drove on both sides of the road. It pulled quickly to the shoulder and a middle aged man lept out of the van and danced around in the road talking to himself. Creech and Katy pulled over to assist the gentleman, but they were very leary of his behavior. Finally, Creech approached the man and asked if they could lend assistance. The man was in shock and afraid. The man uttered a very simple sentence, "There's a Copperhead in the van!"

Suddenly the erratic driving made sense. After further explanation, it was found out the gentleman was moving a barrel from one place to another in his van. The Copperhead had crawled out of the barrel and found himself trapped in the van. The snake began to slither around in the van to find a way of escape. The gentleman noticed the snake as it attempted to crawl into the drivers seat from the drivers door, hence the erratic and terrified man.

Creech and Katy helped the man locate the snake, with an intention of releasing the snake. That did not happen. Unfortunately, the gentleman dispatched the snake as it was crawling out of the open side door. According to Creech, it was a large Copperhead.

This story needs to be enhanced and turned into a chapter in my redneck memoirs;0

Other stories of snakes in cars:

Nan in Trinidad

Trip to WalMart

Pain around the neck

Snake gone from rental car

Let me get something straight!!

My whole life people have been confusing me with my brother. I want to get that straight right now.

This is my handsome and highly intelligent brother.








This is our handsome and VERY jolly father.






This is goofy faced me. 20lbs heavier than I am now...



















This is a picture of the three of us with my oldest daughter Katy.

Other than the obvious good looks...are there any questions??

Dumb crook...

Why is it that many times thieves tend to be so stupid?

Dumb, dumb crook...

Dumb Little Men...no really, sometimes we are.

Jordan Cooper pointed me to this site.

Le Eaton reminds us that we are sometimes dumb little men, in her latest post, "Can You Say Slipcovers???????"

Men are, well, just men. I know, I am one!

I grabbed this from eye'm off my rocker. If you cannot giggle at this because it is so stoomp down true, you are:

• Not a man
• Do not know any men
• A "bible-thumper"
• A liar

Look at this then tell me where you fit...

Merry Christmas

I do have a story or two to write about. This morning I have different plans. I plann on having breakfast with the family and then heading to the mall. Not to shop, but to watch the crazies out on Christmas Eve shop. For you dust bunnies that actually read this blog, here is a link that will make you laugh. CajunTwelveDaysofChristmas