Virginia Rose Tigh died last week. I went to her funeral on Saturday in Aiken.
Virginia Rose was a celebrity. Well, she could have been. And she truly was in my book. I had to be there.
Virginia Rose was a model. She was blessed with exceptional good looks and she was just beginning to break into the world of high fashion modeling. She was making good money. The world was her oyster.
And then the Japanese attacked at Pearl Harbor. No, Virginia Rose wasn't drafted. The United States has never drafted women. But she did the unexpected. Virginia Rose volunteered. She joined the United States Navy. Her country was at war and she wanted to do her part.
Goodbye modeling career. Goodbye money. Goodbye to a life of glamour. Hello to service in a war theatre. Virginia Rose served for three years in the Navy. There, she met and fell in love with the man who would become her husband. She never went back to modeling. She became a homemaker and raised her children. She and others like her formed the backbone of this country in the aftermath of World War II. She played her part in making my free America a safe and secure place to live. Virginia Rose was a member of the Greatest Generation.
Sadly, I never knew her in life. After she died her family requested the Patriot Guard be there when she was laid to rest. And that's how I found myself in Aiken on a hot Saturday. Myself and about 25 fellow patriots came to say goodbye to a lady we never knew. And then we heard her story and met her family. It was obvious they had lost someone they loved dearly and respected greatly. I was humbled to be there. And we were all proud to be a part of the final formation for a WAVE.
How many more are out there? How many stories of outstanding patriotism? World War II veterans are leaving us at the rate of more than a thousand per day. If you know one of these heroes, please, don't wait. Tell them you appreciate their service. Thank them for making it possible to grow up in a free country. Do it today. You're running out of time.
Thank you Virginia Rose. 'Twas an honor to stand and hold a flag for you.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A Little Bit of Braggin'
Okay people..............my apologies. I don't know what happened but I have failed to enter a blog for a long, long time.
Let me tell you about a couple things that I'm proud of................it's about what we do at WLBG.
You see...........we bring you the news and try our best to keep you informed. Informed about local news, national news, sports news. We also bring you the best in gospel music each day with Reverend Sims and the Gospel Express. We attempt to make this a community..........almost a family...........on the air.
But at the end of the day, we are a commercial broadcast station. We sell advertising and it is our sponsors that pay for all the services we provide to the community. Our sponsors are understandably important to us. So, it is understandable that we want to make sure that our sponsors are successful. We want to be sure that the message we broadcast are effective.
Advertising, if it's done right, doesn't cost anything. It is entirely possible for a merchant to advertise and actually be able to cut his prices due to those ads. How?...............well if those ads are effective and the number of customers drastically increases it is entirely possible for the prices to fall because his volume has increased.
Lately, we added a new sponsor...........River Fork Auction Barn on River Fork Road near Waterloo. They sell produce. Lots of watermelons among other things. Their ads worked and worked so well that they were able to cut the price on watermelons. I'm proud of that.
And Sherer Body Shop..............I've known of their business for years but I never knew they offered 'lock out' service. Lock your keys in the car? They can get them out for you. I'd prefer to call someone I knew. Someone I could trust. Turns out, other folk feel the same way. Since we began advertising that service they're having more and more people call them. I'm proud of that too.
If you're in business.............call us. You can't do business when your customer doesn't know that you have the product or the service they want. We'll tell them.............all of them............all about it.
WLBG will continue with information, entertainment, inspiration and community service. And we'll continue striving to do the best job possible for our sponsors. It's what we do.
Let me tell you about a couple things that I'm proud of................it's about what we do at WLBG.
You see...........we bring you the news and try our best to keep you informed. Informed about local news, national news, sports news. We also bring you the best in gospel music each day with Reverend Sims and the Gospel Express. We attempt to make this a community..........almost a family...........on the air.
But at the end of the day, we are a commercial broadcast station. We sell advertising and it is our sponsors that pay for all the services we provide to the community. Our sponsors are understandably important to us. So, it is understandable that we want to make sure that our sponsors are successful. We want to be sure that the message we broadcast are effective.
Advertising, if it's done right, doesn't cost anything. It is entirely possible for a merchant to advertise and actually be able to cut his prices due to those ads. How?...............well if those ads are effective and the number of customers drastically increases it is entirely possible for the prices to fall because his volume has increased.
Lately, we added a new sponsor...........River Fork Auction Barn on River Fork Road near Waterloo. They sell produce. Lots of watermelons among other things. Their ads worked and worked so well that they were able to cut the price on watermelons. I'm proud of that.
And Sherer Body Shop..............I've known of their business for years but I never knew they offered 'lock out' service. Lock your keys in the car? They can get them out for you. I'd prefer to call someone I knew. Someone I could trust. Turns out, other folk feel the same way. Since we began advertising that service they're having more and more people call them. I'm proud of that too.
If you're in business.............call us. You can't do business when your customer doesn't know that you have the product or the service they want. We'll tell them.............all of them............all about it.
WLBG will continue with information, entertainment, inspiration and community service. And we'll continue striving to do the best job possible for our sponsors. It's what we do.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Greetings Comrades
I'm still trying to understand our new President. I actually do want to believe the best. I want to be sure I've given him a fair shake and not dismiss him for what I feared he was, even said I was afraid he was, while he was still candidate Obama.
I said that I feared he was a socialist, even a Marxist. Now, for those who may not be familiar with political theory, here's the short and sweet definition of socialism:
A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
Socialism is about collectivism. The theory maintains that government has the ability and should have the authority to make decisions for each of us.......decisions that we're accustomed to making for ourselves.
In a socialist government, most jobs are controlled by the government. The government decides what job is best for you and assigns you to that job. You give up the freedom of deciding for yourself what you want to do for a living but in exchange, you don't worry about finding a job......the government finds one for you.
A socialist government will take care of your health care needs too. You can't decide what doctor you see and you don't really manage your own health care. Instead, you follow the government program. You might be put on a diet if the government thinks you're fat. The good side is........you don't have wonder how to pay for your health care. It's paid for by the government.
Just like most other things socialism has good and bad points. A lot of worry would be removed. But, a lot of freedom would be removed as well.
Me.........I love freedom and want to hold on to my own independence. I'd rather take a chance on individual failure and have the freedom to succeed. I don't want the government to tell me where to work, what to eat and what doctor to see. I do not want to see my free America become a socialist state.
Why?
Well, it's simple really. Socialism has only been tried several hundred times by nations all around the globe. Each time it has failed. It has resulted in reduced freedoms, reduced productivity, reduced individuality and has often resulted in totalitarian regimes that oppress the weak and silence all opposition........with bullets if necessary.
When I look at the actions of President Obama I see nothing that relieves my fears about socialism. I see him pushing a national health care agenda that is quite frightening. I see language about prioritizing health care dollars so that they are most beneficial to the entire society.
Now what does that mean? Does it mean that when a decision for who gets a procedure comes down to a 35 year old man who works and pays taxes versus an 82 year old woman who has been retired for 20 years........that the young man gets the procedure while the old woman does not? And what if not having the procedure would mean she dies? I can tell you that questions like that have gone unanswered. That makes me uncomfortable.
And now I see moves by the Obama administration that one would have to say are disrespectful at the very least to our military veterans. I wish I had been wrong about President Obama. I don't think I was.
What do you think?
I said that I feared he was a socialist, even a Marxist. Now, for those who may not be familiar with political theory, here's the short and sweet definition of socialism:
A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
Socialism is about collectivism. The theory maintains that government has the ability and should have the authority to make decisions for each of us.......decisions that we're accustomed to making for ourselves.
In a socialist government, most jobs are controlled by the government. The government decides what job is best for you and assigns you to that job. You give up the freedom of deciding for yourself what you want to do for a living but in exchange, you don't worry about finding a job......the government finds one for you.
A socialist government will take care of your health care needs too. You can't decide what doctor you see and you don't really manage your own health care. Instead, you follow the government program. You might be put on a diet if the government thinks you're fat. The good side is........you don't have wonder how to pay for your health care. It's paid for by the government.
Just like most other things socialism has good and bad points. A lot of worry would be removed. But, a lot of freedom would be removed as well.
Me.........I love freedom and want to hold on to my own independence. I'd rather take a chance on individual failure and have the freedom to succeed. I don't want the government to tell me where to work, what to eat and what doctor to see. I do not want to see my free America become a socialist state.
Why?
Well, it's simple really. Socialism has only been tried several hundred times by nations all around the globe. Each time it has failed. It has resulted in reduced freedoms, reduced productivity, reduced individuality and has often resulted in totalitarian regimes that oppress the weak and silence all opposition........with bullets if necessary.
When I look at the actions of President Obama I see nothing that relieves my fears about socialism. I see him pushing a national health care agenda that is quite frightening. I see language about prioritizing health care dollars so that they are most beneficial to the entire society.
Now what does that mean? Does it mean that when a decision for who gets a procedure comes down to a 35 year old man who works and pays taxes versus an 82 year old woman who has been retired for 20 years........that the young man gets the procedure while the old woman does not? And what if not having the procedure would mean she dies? I can tell you that questions like that have gone unanswered. That makes me uncomfortable.
And now I see moves by the Obama administration that one would have to say are disrespectful at the very least to our military veterans. I wish I had been wrong about President Obama. I don't think I was.
What do you think?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Snowfall and Dandelions
Snow.
I gotta admit.............there's something peaceful about watching it fall. To see all that activity.........flakes darting here and there.......and yet it's totally quiet. Have you noticed that everyone talks quieter, almost in a whisper, as they're watching snow falling?
Here in the South we don't get much snow. I'm not complaining about that.............just stating a fact. When snow does come it produces almost a holiday atmosphere. Kids are excited and some of us grown folks get a bit giggly for some reason as well. I think it's just because we are seeing something out of the ordinary and seeing it together. It makes us feel a bit closer to our fellow man.
Enjoy the snowfall but realize that it's March now. This is probably it for 2009. But that joint admiration of nature need not occur only when it snows.
We have the miracle of sunrise occur each and every day. Light creeps across the sky, the birds wake up singing...........life begins it's buzz. It's amazing to watch.
You know..............this whole thing reminds me of dandelions. Think of a dandelion for a moment. If they existed in only one spot on Earth and bloomed only once each year, people would spend thousands of dollars to get there to see the intricate beauty that God poured into the dandelion.
But dandelions are everywhere. They are abundant. And what do we do? We try to kill them. They're still intricate and beautiful but they're not rare so we don't pay attention to them.
Next time you see a dandelion, pick it. Look at the design. And go ahead and blow on it.............I know you want to. Be a kid again. Enjoy the magic, the miracle, of the little things.
I gotta admit.............there's something peaceful about watching it fall. To see all that activity.........flakes darting here and there.......and yet it's totally quiet. Have you noticed that everyone talks quieter, almost in a whisper, as they're watching snow falling?
Here in the South we don't get much snow. I'm not complaining about that.............just stating a fact. When snow does come it produces almost a holiday atmosphere. Kids are excited and some of us grown folks get a bit giggly for some reason as well. I think it's just because we are seeing something out of the ordinary and seeing it together. It makes us feel a bit closer to our fellow man.
Enjoy the snowfall but realize that it's March now. This is probably it for 2009. But that joint admiration of nature need not occur only when it snows.
We have the miracle of sunrise occur each and every day. Light creeps across the sky, the birds wake up singing...........life begins it's buzz. It's amazing to watch.
You know..............this whole thing reminds me of dandelions. Think of a dandelion for a moment. If they existed in only one spot on Earth and bloomed only once each year, people would spend thousands of dollars to get there to see the intricate beauty that God poured into the dandelion.
But dandelions are everywhere. They are abundant. And what do we do? We try to kill them. They're still intricate and beautiful but they're not rare so we don't pay attention to them.
Next time you see a dandelion, pick it. Look at the design. And go ahead and blow on it.............I know you want to. Be a kid again. Enjoy the magic, the miracle, of the little things.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Superstitious? Me?
Are you superstitious? Not me.
I've had black cats cross my path numerous times and never thought anything of it. Most the bad luck stuff that some people fear......I don't even know about. I never paid attention to what would happen if I broke a mirror or any of that stuff. I don't believe humanity is governed by phases of the moon or numbers on a calendar.
And so it was last Friday morning. I didn't give any thought to it being Friday the thirteenth as I left my driveway and headed north toward work. It was about 0450 and a little chilly. Since I ride a motorcycle through a large section of Sumter National Forest I'm always on the lookout for deer. Deer for a car would be a nuisance and maybe an expense but on a motorcycle......well, it's more than that.
As I came up to speed I saw the dog. He was making a beeline for the road. What makes some dogs chase motorcycles? I don't know but some do........and this one did. He'd done it before. He'd come right out to the edge of the pavement and then run along the shoulder as I passed him by...........sometimes he'd bark.
Maybe he'd had a bad week. Maybe the collar was just a bit too tight. Maybe someone threw a stick and he couldn't find it. He was obviously in a bad mood because this time he went past the edge of the pavement and kept right on coming.
Now, I'm pretty good at judging a dangerous situation and all sorts of bells and whistles were going off in my head as the dog approached from left to right. I went as far to the right as I could. And the dog kept coming. In fact, he crossed all the way across the highway to the right hand shoulder. I broke to the left and applied throttle. In just a couple seconds I'd be past him and on toward WLBG.
Then there was a blonde blur.........golden retriever colored blur. The dog was determined to stop the motorcycle. He lunged and............. he made it !!
I remember the front wheel hitting the dog just behind his front leg. The motorcycle went up and then I was falling to the left.
'Hey buddy, are you okay?' That's the next thing I remember. Someone was standing over me. I had been out for a while and really did not understand where I was or why. I told him I was fine but then realized I couldn't get up. I remember people yelling, fire trucks, an ambulance, a State Trooper and a great deal of pain. I remember my wife standing at the rear of the ambulance. I told her I was okay even though I was not so sure.
The aftermath? Five broken ribs and a concussion. X-rays also showed a compression fracture of the T-12 vertebrae of the spine but that was probably an old injury. Translation........I hurt. As I write this it has been more than a week since that golden retriever achieved his lifelong goal of stopping a motorcycle and I still hurt.
Rusty sustained some damage: busted headlight, left turn signal, bent left engine guard. My helmet looks awful. It has slide marks on the left and right side as well as on the top. Deep marks. My leather jacket is ripped to shreds. My steel toe boots have steel showing. And I don't have a scratch on me. This safety gear works ladies and gentlemen. Please, if you're going to ride, wear it.
I am slowly but surely recovering. It'll probably be several weeks before I can ride again. When I do, there'll be one less dog to worry about. Whether or not I worry about the next Friday the 13th..........I haven't made up my mind.
I've had black cats cross my path numerous times and never thought anything of it. Most the bad luck stuff that some people fear......I don't even know about. I never paid attention to what would happen if I broke a mirror or any of that stuff. I don't believe humanity is governed by phases of the moon or numbers on a calendar.
And so it was last Friday morning. I didn't give any thought to it being Friday the thirteenth as I left my driveway and headed north toward work. It was about 0450 and a little chilly. Since I ride a motorcycle through a large section of Sumter National Forest I'm always on the lookout for deer. Deer for a car would be a nuisance and maybe an expense but on a motorcycle......well, it's more than that.
As I came up to speed I saw the dog. He was making a beeline for the road. What makes some dogs chase motorcycles? I don't know but some do........and this one did. He'd done it before. He'd come right out to the edge of the pavement and then run along the shoulder as I passed him by...........sometimes he'd bark.
Maybe he'd had a bad week. Maybe the collar was just a bit too tight. Maybe someone threw a stick and he couldn't find it. He was obviously in a bad mood because this time he went past the edge of the pavement and kept right on coming.
Now, I'm pretty good at judging a dangerous situation and all sorts of bells and whistles were going off in my head as the dog approached from left to right. I went as far to the right as I could. And the dog kept coming. In fact, he crossed all the way across the highway to the right hand shoulder. I broke to the left and applied throttle. In just a couple seconds I'd be past him and on toward WLBG.
Then there was a blonde blur.........golden retriever colored blur. The dog was determined to stop the motorcycle. He lunged and............. he made it !!
I remember the front wheel hitting the dog just behind his front leg. The motorcycle went up and then I was falling to the left.
'Hey buddy, are you okay?' That's the next thing I remember. Someone was standing over me. I had been out for a while and really did not understand where I was or why. I told him I was fine but then realized I couldn't get up. I remember people yelling, fire trucks, an ambulance, a State Trooper and a great deal of pain. I remember my wife standing at the rear of the ambulance. I told her I was okay even though I was not so sure.
The aftermath? Five broken ribs and a concussion. X-rays also showed a compression fracture of the T-12 vertebrae of the spine but that was probably an old injury. Translation........I hurt. As I write this it has been more than a week since that golden retriever achieved his lifelong goal of stopping a motorcycle and I still hurt.
Rusty sustained some damage: busted headlight, left turn signal, bent left engine guard. My helmet looks awful. It has slide marks on the left and right side as well as on the top. Deep marks. My leather jacket is ripped to shreds. My steel toe boots have steel showing. And I don't have a scratch on me. This safety gear works ladies and gentlemen. Please, if you're going to ride, wear it.
I am slowly but surely recovering. It'll probably be several weeks before I can ride again. When I do, there'll be one less dog to worry about. Whether or not I worry about the next Friday the 13th..........I haven't made up my mind.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
I Remember Him
A while back a fellow passed along a piece of wisdom to me. He told me “Son……….ain’t none of us getting outta here alive”.
He’s right you know. So far in our human experience, everyone ever born (save one) has eventually died. Let’s just assume for a moment that a time and a day will come when you leave this plane of existence.
When that happens will you be missed? I’m reminded right now of this concept by the passing of our friend Tommy Powell. Tommy was a great guy. Decorated Marine, a friend to any who would let him, a true friend to all kids.
Tommy was seriously wounded in Vietnam. When he came home he dedicated his life to kids. He’s been a fixture at Collyar Park for years. He kept the fields looking sharp and applied his own brand of common sense to the operation of the Dixie Youth program.
There are hundreds of men and women in our community whose lives were touched directly or indirectly by Tommy Powell. At his death of course his family mourned but, in reality, the entire community felt the loss.
Will that be the case when you go? Seriously, you get to decide now what is said when you’re gone. How will you be remembered? That’s up to you. How do you treat people now? Are you a giver? Or……….are you a taker?
There………..that should give you something to think about.
He’s right you know. So far in our human experience, everyone ever born (save one) has eventually died. Let’s just assume for a moment that a time and a day will come when you leave this plane of existence.
When that happens will you be missed? I’m reminded right now of this concept by the passing of our friend Tommy Powell. Tommy was a great guy. Decorated Marine, a friend to any who would let him, a true friend to all kids.
Tommy was seriously wounded in Vietnam. When he came home he dedicated his life to kids. He’s been a fixture at Collyar Park for years. He kept the fields looking sharp and applied his own brand of common sense to the operation of the Dixie Youth program.
There are hundreds of men and women in our community whose lives were touched directly or indirectly by Tommy Powell. At his death of course his family mourned but, in reality, the entire community felt the loss.
Will that be the case when you go? Seriously, you get to decide now what is said when you’re gone. How will you be remembered? That’s up to you. How do you treat people now? Are you a giver? Or……….are you a taker?
There………..that should give you something to think about.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Happy Birthday JamalyahBooBoo
Some of you worry me.
A part of my duties here at WLBG involve being the conductor of the orchestra we call our Morning Newsmagazine. It’s a fast paced format with a lot of things coming at you once……….at least from where I sit.
I coordinate Weather from WYFF 4 meteorologist Dale Gilbert, FOX News at the top and bottom of each hour, Sports with either John Avery or Gene Pinson or both, WLBG Local News with Emil Finley. On top of that I do Real Time Traffic at a quarter past and a quarter til each hour plus lottery updates and birthdays and anniversaries.
Sound simple enough? Well, did I tell you that it all has to be timed out precisely? Certain elements of the show MUST start at their appointed time. If something else is not quite finished and still playing then………well, it’s a mess.
Somehow it generally works well. Yeah, once in a while we have a catastrophe but so far we’ve been able to handle them pretty much in stride. The only thing that causes me to shake my head is…………… Birthdays.
No, it’s not because the speaker on our answering machine isn’t all that great and sometimes I have a hard time understanding folk. It’s not even because people name their poor children some pretty odd things. I’ve heard a couple names that I’m pretty sure is Arabic for ‘2 humped camel with bad breath’.
The thing that amazes and frustrates me?.................birthday fights. Okay, it goes like this: I get a message wanting me to wish little JamalyahBooBoo a happy 2nd birthday from her grandmother. I’m also asked to mention her daddy and aunts and uncles. No problem.
Then, 10 minutes later I get a call from the child’s mother. She wants to be added to the list of well wishers. I comply. The next time I read the birthday list I include ‘Mom’ on the list wishing JamalyahBooBoo a happy birthday. No problem? Yeah, that’s what you’d think.
The phones light up and Grandma is angry. She demands that I remove Mom from the list because SHE didn’t tell me to include Mom. Now, I’m not going to do that.
I will admit that there exists today some strange definitions of the word family. I will also admit that I don’t know what dynamics exist within this particular family. But I do know that if a lady calls me and asks that I include her, the child’s mother, in the birthday wishes for her 2 year old child………..I will.
Grandma is still screaming when I hang up. She keeps calling back. She wants to tell me all about how bad Mom is. She tells me that she, Grandma, is a Christian and then lets loose with a string of profanity.
Please. I don’t mind announcing birthdays. But, family fights? Naw, I'd rather not.
There, got that off my chest.
A part of my duties here at WLBG involve being the conductor of the orchestra we call our Morning Newsmagazine. It’s a fast paced format with a lot of things coming at you once……….at least from where I sit.
I coordinate Weather from WYFF 4 meteorologist Dale Gilbert, FOX News at the top and bottom of each hour, Sports with either John Avery or Gene Pinson or both, WLBG Local News with Emil Finley. On top of that I do Real Time Traffic at a quarter past and a quarter til each hour plus lottery updates and birthdays and anniversaries.
Sound simple enough? Well, did I tell you that it all has to be timed out precisely? Certain elements of the show MUST start at their appointed time. If something else is not quite finished and still playing then………well, it’s a mess.
Somehow it generally works well. Yeah, once in a while we have a catastrophe but so far we’ve been able to handle them pretty much in stride. The only thing that causes me to shake my head is…………… Birthdays.
No, it’s not because the speaker on our answering machine isn’t all that great and sometimes I have a hard time understanding folk. It’s not even because people name their poor children some pretty odd things. I’ve heard a couple names that I’m pretty sure is Arabic for ‘2 humped camel with bad breath’.
The thing that amazes and frustrates me?.................birthday fights. Okay, it goes like this: I get a message wanting me to wish little JamalyahBooBoo a happy 2nd birthday from her grandmother. I’m also asked to mention her daddy and aunts and uncles. No problem.
Then, 10 minutes later I get a call from the child’s mother. She wants to be added to the list of well wishers. I comply. The next time I read the birthday list I include ‘Mom’ on the list wishing JamalyahBooBoo a happy birthday. No problem? Yeah, that’s what you’d think.
The phones light up and Grandma is angry. She demands that I remove Mom from the list because SHE didn’t tell me to include Mom. Now, I’m not going to do that.
I will admit that there exists today some strange definitions of the word family. I will also admit that I don’t know what dynamics exist within this particular family. But I do know that if a lady calls me and asks that I include her, the child’s mother, in the birthday wishes for her 2 year old child………..I will.
Grandma is still screaming when I hang up. She keeps calling back. She wants to tell me all about how bad Mom is. She tells me that she, Grandma, is a Christian and then lets loose with a string of profanity.
Please. I don’t mind announcing birthdays. But, family fights? Naw, I'd rather not.
There, got that off my chest.
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