Tuesday, February 28, 2006

My Heart Is Broken

I know I am suppose to be blogging. I know that I am behind schedule. Sometimes life interrupts and you have to stop. That is what has happened to me. I meet a girl named Elena this week. She has changed my life. Her family has changed my life. Her father has made me think about what is important. What is important is being with your family, telling them that you love them, spending time with them, talking to them, listening to them.

God Bless You Elena. Thank you for Blessing Us.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

As Usual, I Am Behind Schedule!

It's 12:16am Sunday morning and I am bleaching my kitchen floor. I have 7 people coming for dinner Sunday at 1:30pm. I have 2 chuck roasts marinating and everything else ready to go. Since Friday morning, I have dealt with angry customers at work, a sick Lil GeeChee Girl (she feels better now), a home computer that was suddenly attacked with 57 different virus's, a side job that took much longer than expected, the normal routine of taking care of a family and now doing massive spring cleaning (I have washed the baseboards!). I have lots to say, unfortunately, it will have to wait till Sunday night. See You Then!

PS - In the meantime, check out the pic of Lil GeeChee Girl (in the blue dress) at a "Cinderella Party". They got to dress up, have a fashion show, and enjoy 'high tea'. She is such a girl!

Thursday, February 23, 2006

2nd Lt. Almar Fitzgerald - Go With God


Almar Fitzgerald, Class of 2004
The Citadel
The Military College of SC

Killed In Action, February 2006
Iraq

Thank You Sir for your sacrifice for our freedom. We will never forget you.

We Have A Guest In Town!

Ah, you can tell it is an election year here in SC. Every where you turn, you bump into some smooth talker telling you how he/she is going to make life better. Wait, are they Politicians or Yankees? ")

Thursday at 11am, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be speaking at The Citadel. I plan to take my lunch hour then and go see what the man has to say. I'll report back tomorrow afternoon.

*The following is the press release from The Citadel regarding the speech Thursday morning.

Mass. Governor to address Corps of Cadets

Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will give a Greater Issues address at 11 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, at McAlister Field House on The Citadel campus. The speech is free and open to the public.

Romney is probably best known for his work with the 2002 Winter Olympics. With the games mired in controversy and facing financial crisis, he was asked to take over. As president and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, he erased a $379 million operating deficit, organized 23,000 volunteers, galvanized community spirit, oversaw an unprecedented security mobilization to ensure public safety and led one of the most successful Olympics in the countryÂ’s history.

Following the success of the Winter Games, Romney was elected governor of Massachusetts. There, he was faced with another desperate situation. Without raising taxes or increasing debt, Romney closed a $3 billion budget deficit his first year in office and has successfully balanced the budget every year. By eliminating waste, streamlining the government and enacting comprehensive economic reforms to help spur growth in Massachusetts, Romney restored stability in Massachusetts.

The Greater Issues Series was founded in 1954 to engage cadetsÂ’ interest and knowledge in important topics of the day. Since it was established, the series has brought presidents, heads of state, scholars, diplomats, journalists and distinguished business and military leaders to Charleston and The Citadel. The Greater Issues series is made possible by a grant from The Mills B. Lane Memorial Foundation.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Gullah Phrase

som's pusson disso chupid own puter.

Translation:

Some people just too stupid to own computers!

Can you tell I had a bad day at work?

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Go hug your wife, husband, kids, parents, friends and let them know how much you love them. Do it every day. Life is precious, yet short. Don't miss a moment!

Sunday, February 12, 2006

My Favorite Memory

I was about 10 years old. My Mom, my Granny, myself, and my brother (he was 5 at the time) lived in a very rough area of North Charleston, SC. It was very common for me to be brought home by a neighbor because I had been in a fight or because someone was trying to fight me (or something worse). My Mom worked 3 jobs and went to school - working on her Bachelors of Science (she now has a Masters). She had just recently passed her GED and earned her Associates in Science. My Granny also worked part time and kept an eye on us.

Since Mom was working and going to school, I was basically in charge. I cooked, I cleaned, I got GeeChee Bubba ready every day and sent him to school. (I also fought for him but that is a story for another time!)

My Mom did not have a lot of time to spend with us, the time she spent with us was very special. At 10 years old, I wasn't a child, yet, not a teenager. I was that awful being that no one can explain, that person that is now called the horrible name 'tween'.

Barbies meant nothing, boys and makeup also meant nothing. Climbing trees suddenly seemed wrong, yet that is what I wanted to do! I was nothing more than a very tall, skinny kid who liked books and had no place in the world.

My Ma saw that something was wrong with her girl, with her oldest, with her soul. She saw that her child was no longer a child, yet not a woman, a person in conflict.

My Mom did the greatest thing a Mom could do, she gave herself.

Suddenly, my Ma demanded my presence after church on a Sunday. I was rather confused, what did I do now? I joined her (relucntantly), in her bedroom. She asked me to sit on her bed beside her and watch TV. I was shocked! She was usually studying, we were told to leave her alone. What was wrong with this picture?

It was 3:00 pm on a Sunday afternoon when I meet King Authur and The Knights of the Round Table on PBS.

I spent the winter and spring learning the wonderful tale. Every Sunday, whether she was at work, studying, whatever, she would stop what she was doing and spend one hour with me, King Authur, Merlin, Morgan Le Faye, Lancelot, Gwain, we would all become one world! I would no longer be alone, I would no longer be the tall, skinny, pale kid who lived in the library. I became that world, along with my Ma.

Thank you Mom. I Love You. I have loved you from the beginning. I will love you till the end. I love you Mom. I pray every day that I can give my child the same type of memory.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Where Are The Parents?

Robert Bailey was a smart, handsome young man of 11 who was well loved by his family, friends and school mates. He was always smiling. He was a smart, happy young man who made people smile just being in his presence. His Mom & Dad, along with their 5 children, had moved to a good neighborhood to get away from the drugs and violence that plagued their former neighborhood. They wanted a better life for the family. Life was good.

On the evening of January 21st, Robert was watching the Disney Channel with his 4 year old sister in the living room. He heard a commotion coming from the back yard and went to his back door to see what was going on. Seconds later, he was shot in the chest. His parents ran to his aid but there was nothing anyone could do. A week later, a 16 year old was arrested and charged with murder and a 15 year old was arrested for withholding information.

Read the following story from today's (02/10/06) edition of Charlestons Post & Courier. I am posting it here rather than linking to it because the P&C charges to read their archives, which this will become on 02/11/06. My comments are in italics.

For nearly three weeks, some North Charleston residents have expressed amazement that it was a stray bullet that killed 11-year-old Robert Bailey.

In testimony Thursday, a North Charleston police detective said the shot that tore through a fence and a back-door window wasn't an accident at all.

The two shots allegedly fired by Tehran Frazier, 16, were an attempt to scare the boy, Detective Keith Elmore said.

"(Frazier) saw someone looking out the window and thought they would call the cops," Elmore said. "He wanted to scare him off."

Robert had been watching television with his sister Jan. 21 when he heard a gunshot and walked to the back-door window of his home in the NorthPointe neighborhood off Dorchester Road to see what the commotion was about.

More details emerged Thursday during a detention hearing in Charleston County Family Court to determine if Frazier's 15-year-old friend, who is charged with withholding information from police, should be released from jail.

Judge R. Wright Turbeville ruled there was probable cause to charge the teenager, who must remain in the juvenile detention center for at least 10 more days.

Under oath, Elmore provided a detailed description of the information provided by the 15-year-old that led to Frazier's murder charge Feb. 1.

Roberts mother, Cassandra Bailey, and family members of the 15-year-old listened.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know what to think," Bailey said several hours after the hearing. "There are a bunch of different stories out there right now."

According to what the 15-year-old told Elmore, here's how events unfolded:

The 15-year-old, whose name wasn't released because he is a juvenile, was seen rolling a marijuana joint on Jan. 31 with two other teenagers at the Trailwood Mobile Home Park. Why is a 15 yr old smoking pot? Where are the parents? Elmore caught the 15-year-old, drove him to the station, and asked him about the homicide.

The 15-year-old told Elmore he had information about Roberts death.

Initially, the teenager provided a different story and the name of another person as the shooter. After further questioning, the 15-year-old told Elmore that he wanted to speak with a family member.

Elmore questioned the truthfulness of the teenagers story when his mother arrived at the station.

When his mother told him to tell the truth, the teen admitted he had lied, Elmore said.

He told Elmore that Frazier was the shooter. He said Frazier had robbed him of $6 on a dirt path behind Roberts house, although Elmore continues to question whether the robbery actually occurred.

After the robbery, Frazier fired a shot into the ground.

Seconds later the teenagers saw someone looking out the window. Frazier fired two shots in Roberts direction. One shot tore through a fence and window and struck the boy. Unaware that someone had been shot, the teens ran several hundred yards on the path toward their homes in the Trailwood Mobile Home Park.

They stopped at the end of the path, slapped hands and talked about Frazier's new handgun before they walked to their separate homes. The kid slaps hands with the person who 'robbed him'?

The 15-year-old said he realized what had happened when his mother turned on the television news.

"I know who did that," Elmore said the 15-year-old told his mother. His mother told him "to be quiet and mind his own business," Elmore said. Well, I guess I can see what type of Mom she is? Instead of asking what happened and offering to help, to call a lawyer (you can get one for free), she tells him to be quiet.

After Elmore provided information in court, the lawyer for the teenager addressed the judge.

Peter David Brown argued for the teenagers release. He said the 15-year-old first lied to police because he was afraid he or his family could be killed.

"He is on a second- and fifth-grade level in some areas," Brown said. "He needed his mother's advice." Ok, obviously, the Mom's advice was crappy. Also, he's 15 and on a 2nd to 5th grade level. Who's fault is that? Yes, SC has the worst schools in the nation but you CAN excel if you try and have FAMILY SUPPORT. Where was the Mom? Hell, where is the Dad? Notice that he is not mentioned anywhere.

Turbeville also listened to Shawn Barfield, a lawyer in the Family Court division of the solicitor's office, before he ordered the 15-year-old to remain in the juvenile detention center.

Meanwhile, detectives said they likely won't return to a retention pond in the mobile home park to search for a gun unless they receive another tip. No gun was found when detectives searched the murky water Feb. 3.

Elmore said they searched the pond after the 15-year-old told police during his initial story that the gun was thrown into the pond. The teenager later changed that story and has been unable to provide a location for the gun.

North Charleston police continue to search for the gun used to kill 11-year-old Robert Bailey. Anyone with information about the gun can call Crime Stoppers at 554-1111.

Reach John Chambliss at 937-5573 or jchambliss@postandcourier.com.


God rest your soul Robert. You will be missed. The citizens of Charleston will seek justice for you. And in your honor, may all parents pay more attention to their children.

This Is Beautiful

Its people like this that give me hope for the world.

Hattip: Betsy' Page

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Update:Breastfeeding Legislation Made It!

WooHoo! SC 'just' might be making it into the 20th Century! My friend Lynn, thru massive time and effort, has accomplished something that should have happened years ago. She pushed thru legislation stating that IT IS NOT A CRIME TO BREASTFEED IN PUBLIC in the judicary committee. Thank You Lord. And thank you Lynn!

In case you did not know, a woman breastfeeding her child in public in SC at this moment in time runs the risk of being arrested for 'indecent exposure' in this state. Yes, you read that right. In this day in age, when we are trying to protect our children, raise them right, a mother can be fined for feeding her child.

Next step, in front of the full House!

Big Moment In The GeeChee House

This evening, a major event took place in the Lil GeeChee Girls Life. She started her first 'tying her own shoe lesson'. Now, for those of you who are asking, "why is she, at the age of 4 1/2, just learning, the answer is simple. Lil GeeChee Girl is a righty, GeeChee Hubby is a righty and GeeChee Girl (me) is a lefty. If I tried to teach her, she'd be in college before she figured it out! The only reason I can tie my own shoes is the fact that my mommy (Head GeeChee Girl), had my uncle teach me (also a lefty). PS - He also taught me how to use right handed sissors with my left hand.

Anyway, Hubby and I finally decided that he needed to sit down with the girl and give a lesson. I discovered rather quickly that this would work much better if I wasn't in the room. This is what happened:








Success!

Don't Forget The Past, Learn From It

38 Years ago today, the Orangeburg Massacre took place. I was 3 years old, a week away from turning 4. I do not remember this time in history. I only know what I have been told, what I have read and what I have researched. I do know that it was a wake up call for the citizens of South Carolina.

On February 8, 1968, 3 college students were murdered (not killed as the newspapers tell you) and 27 others were injured. Why you ask?

On February 8, 1968, the students of South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC peacefully protested the segregation they faced at All Star Bowling Alley. The local bowling alley would not allow blacks in to enjoy a night out. State troopers opened fired on the protest. At the time, they said students threw bricks and fired shots at them, but no guns were ever found. Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith were killed. God rest their souls.

These young people were protesting peacefully for what they believed in - A right, if I remember my history class, that is protected by the First Amendment. The Constitution of the United States says that we have the right to free speech - just what Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith died for.

Today, we have people dying for what they believe in. We have people protesting for what they believe in. I have no problem with that. I totally and fully support anyone and everyone who expresses their beliefs peacefully. Everyone in this country has that right, any one in this world has that right as far as I am concerned.

We also have people telling us that we can not voice our opinion because it offends others. Fine, you have the right to say that. You do not, however; have the right to kill people, to destroy property because someone does not believe as you. This I have a problem with and I believe that the brave young people who gave their lives in Orangeburg would be speechless at what is happening now. What if Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith had stayed home, what if they had not voiced their opinion. They gave their lives to make a difference. These young men gave their lives for freedom of speech, freedom of expression, they fought for what they believed in (in what I believe in). They fought PEACEFULLY. They were murdered by people not any different than the radicals today, people who are FRIGHTENED, people who are frightened by change. People who believe that oppression, control, destruction, pain are the only way of life. People who believe that the only way to remain in control, to remain in power is to destroy.

God Bless Samuel Hammond, Delano Middleton and Henry Smith. God Bless them for their strength and their courage. May we be more like them, may the world be more like them.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905

Homeland Security - Democrat, Republican Or Southern Republican?

Here is a little test that will help you decide.

Question: How do you tell the difference between Democrats, Republicans And Southern Republicans? The answer can be found by posing the following question:

You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic Terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock cal .40, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Democrat's Answer:
Well, that's not enough information to answer the question! Does the man look poor! Or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack? Could we run away? What does my wife think? What about the kids? Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it? Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children? Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me? Should I call 9-1-1? Why is this street so deserted? We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior. This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Republican's Answer:
BANG!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Southern Republican's Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click.....(sounds of reloading).
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click

Daughter: "Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?"

Monday, February 06, 2006

GeeChee Phrase

Muslims shout det duh fen of freedum of e'mouth should'uh 'top 'stroy an eesult oddutor hankuh agos ef dey wantuh deestunt.

Translation:

Muslims shouting death to defenders of freedom of speech should have stopped destroying and insulting others long ago if they want respect.

What's The Difference?

Found this on Fark:

Boston Globe, 1999: "Christians need to stop whining about taxpayer dollars paying to cover the Virgin Mary with elephant crap--it's free speech." 2006: "We need to be sensitive to Muslims offended by political cartoons"

Sunday, February 05, 2006

I'm A Stones Fan But...

Dear Lord, Mick and the guys need to seriously think about doing a public service annoucement regarding the effects of drug & alcohol abuse! They look like hell! Ofcourse, there might be something to drugs as Keith has been preserved (badly). He will probably live thru nuclear war with Cher and the roaches!

Something Strange Is Going On

I'm not sure what happened. The post regarding 'Muslim Unity's' comments has disappeared. Am investigating.

Super Bowl Cooking



Ok, I'm not an artist. This is the first time I have ever decorated cookies like this. All that counts is that they taste good. They are ginger bread cookies with vanilla icing. The Boston Butt is on the smoker, baked beans in the oven, cole slaw, pickle tray, deviled eggs in the fridge, beer in the cooler. Yeah , we are just about ready!

Friday, February 03, 2006

Hey RoP, I'm Not Scared Of You!

*Scroll For Updates.
Listen up, religion of peace, you do not run the world. You do not tell the press what they can and can not publish. Got a problem with that, them come on cause I've about had enough!

(Click to enlarge Cartoon.)








Check out Michelle Malkin and LGF for more about the ridiculous 'Cartoon War'.

UPDATE #1: The State Department weighs in:

The United States blasted the publication by European newspapers of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as unacceptable incitement to religious or ethnic hatred.
"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the beliefs of Muslims," State Department spokesman Justin Higgins said when queried about the furore sparked by the cartoons which first appeared in a Danish newspaper.

"We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility," Higgins told AFP.

"Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable. We call for tolerance and respect for all communities and for their religious beliefs and practices."


Not sure who the State Department is speaking for, its sure not me!

UPDATE #2:
British Muslim Protesting the Muhammad Cartoons.


Sure, this makes sense. A Muslim exercising his Freedom of Speech to call for the beheading of someone else who is exercising his Freedom of Speech.

Hattip To Michelle Malkin

UPDATE #3: Support The Danes!

Hattip To Sister Toldja

Recoil

My brother, 'GeeChee Bubba', emailed me this. I love it!

December 09, 2005 (CNN) while interviewing an anonymous US Special Forces
Soldier, A Reuters News agent asked the soldier what he felt when sniping members of
Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The soldier shrugged and replied, "Recoil".

MIA

Sorry I've been gone so long. My head cold turned in to pneumonia AGAIN! I am feeling much better now and hope to get caught up (yeah right!).