Column for Aug. 13, 2009

Are you enjoying helping other people buy their new cars?

Have you purchased a new car recently? If so, have you enjoyed either helping others buy their new cars? Or have you been enjoying others buying your car for you? With $3 billion now into this boondoggle, the "Cash for Clunkers" program has been in full swing. The automobile industry may love it, but as a taxpayer, I detest it.

Sorry people, but a new car is not a necessity, it is a luxury. Just because your car is older and may get a little worse gas mileage than you would prefer does not entitle you to government money.

I see nothing in the Constitution that gives the government the power to authorize such expenditure of public money. And yet we are paying for people to have the luxury of a new car.

One part of the Cash for Clunkers catastrophe that falls under the “law of unintended consequences” is (as I just read) that the price of new cars is being driven up because of the lack of a need to discount prices to attract customers.

A second consequence is that the cars traded in for new ones have to be destroyed under the law. Good, older used cars will not be available to the less fortunate or those who do not have the budget for something newer. As long as the populace in general is getting hosed on such a boondoggle, lawmakers could have had the charitable foresight to give away these used cars to the less fortunate. At least then, welfare recipients without a car could wake up before noon and have transportation to go find a job.

The original Cash for Clunkers program was supposed to last all summer and only require a $1 billion budget. Now they are two billion dollars over their original budget. Are we sure that we want the same people who could not run such a simple program like this to be in charge of our health care system, as well?

What is the bottom line purpose behind the Car Allowance Rebate System (Cash for Clunkers, as it is called)? Control. When more money is taken out of your pocket and redistributed, it is control over your life. If you look to the government as your supply, then you will tend to re-elect those who gave you money. This principle transcends all levels of government. Follow the money trail and it always shows the hidden agenda.

To continue on the idea of a hidden agenda, I was watching a news report that users of the Car Allowance Rebate System web site (CARS.gov) must agree to a term of use that says you agree to give up ownership of your computer. You actually have to agree to the fine print stating that your computer has become part of a government computer network and that the computer is now under the ownership of the US Government.

A software application gets installed on your computer and you agree that all files on your computer are accessible by the government. Hey, I don’t make this stuff up. I just report what I have read and seen.

I don’t know about you, but that is just Big Brother at work. For the $4,500 or so in the form of a rebate, I am not willing to totally relinquish my cyber privacy and allow any jack booted brown shirt to come from the government to claim my personal property as that of the government.

One way to ponder the $3 billion for CARS is that though it is a pittance compared to the overall national budget, it is huge when put into perspective locally. The $3 billion is 15.789 percent of our entire North Carolina state budget.

We certainly would not have a $900 million tax increase with that sort of money added to our state budget instead of being blown on new cars. Also, more people would have directly benefited. Three billion dollars is 174.446729115106755 times the entire annual town of Selma budget.

Before I pop a blood vessel thinking about how our tax dollars are being spent, I need to wrap up this week’s column.

Column for Aug. 6, 2009

At the last two Planning Board meetings here in Selma, we have taken up the issue of limiting the sort of lodging establishments that can be built in town. There is a proposal to prohibit motels from being built and only allowing hotel type lodging. This does not affect existing businesses, but rather future growth or replacement structures.

The difference between a hotel and a motel, as proposed by the town, is the manner of construction. A motel would be defined as having room access from the exterior of the building whereas a hotel would have interior corridors. It is argued that a hotel type business attracts (in general) a higher class of customer and brings in higher taxes than a motel.

I do a significant amount of traveling in my job and personal life. Just recently, I stayed at a fine Best Western motel (as defined by proposed Selma ordinance). I have stayed at some fine hotels, as well.

It was the opinion of the Planning Board that the town ought not adopt an ordinance discriminating against motel type facilities in favor of hotels. The reasons were several, including the infringement upon the private property rights of a motel franchisee, discrimination against a viable form of business, and losing potential tax revenue from fine motel type establishments.

Let's face it, Selma will never attract a Hilton Garden or Embassy Suites. We are a crossroads on Interstate 95 and not a major tourist, convention, or business destination. Interstate travelers are looking for a clean, comfortable, affordable room, not a luxury suite.

Let's also face this fact. Selma does indeed have several establishments that I would term "flea bag motels". At one time, I am sure that they were decent establishments. Now they are aged, lacking in amenities, attract a lot of drug users and dealers, and some are high crime areas. It is precisely these sorts of clients that the town seeks to eliminate. I am all for that, but at what price? Sure, you are not as likely to find that sort of activity at the Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn. That is the nature of the franchises and clients to whom they cater, not necessarily construction.

The Village Inn in Smithfield has been a well run motel for years, as have several others. On the other hand, there were several fine motels that degraded into drug havens and cesspools. Some have since been torn down to make way for nicer businesses. That is all about the commitment to fine management and respect for the community versus trying to get a few bucks from a sleazy clientele roster.

If one of our craptacular motels here in Selma was to burn down or be demolished (which would not hurt my feelings. I will refrain from naming business names), the proposed ordinance would prohibit any type of lodging establishment that did not offer only interior corridors for room access.
Don't get me wrong, I love Microtel and have a stack of hotel rewards program cards for different hotel chains in my desk. However, if a Best Western, Red Roof Inn, Motel 6, or other company wanted to build a nice, clean, new facility that just happened to provide rooms accessible from the exterior of the building, I have a hard time with the Town of Selma saying, "Sorry, but we do not want your million dollar facility on our tax rolls, we are holding out for hallways."

Furthermore, unless one of our existing motels is indeed demolished, there are few places for the construction of a new facility. However, since we are not a major tourist destination, I doubt we will attract much more than we already have. Roanoke Rapids attracted a Hilton Garden, but they also have a major music theater on site, and we see how negatively that whole scenario worked out for the town.

I have a few thoughts about the argument that a hotel brings in more tax revenue than a motel. First, show me some hard numbers and I may soften my position, but property rights still prevail in my estimation. Second, I had guests in July and will have family here in September. Both parties elected to stay in a local lodging establishment since we do not have much room for accommodations at the house. Both parties chose lodging near the Factory Stores. Selma lost tax revenue since I advised against the flea bag motels, and the corridor edifices in town exceeded the cost they were willing to pay.

I do not know what the Town Council will decide on this issue, as they have been known to ignore recommendations by the Planning Board for various reasons. Will we uphold property rights and freedom while potentially missing out on property and room taxes from establishments that do not conform to fancier corridor construction?

Column for July 30, 2009

I want to tell you the story of a friend of mine named Paul. Paul was a teenager whose life was on a downward spiral. He was just 18 years of age and was about to flunk out of high school. With just a few weeks left in the school year at Garner High School, this boy of Puerto Rican extraction was on the street after having a major fall out with his family. He had no place to turn. The pastor of the church I attend is the chaplain for the Garner Police Department. Garner PD has officers at the school and there was a relationship being built through the high school administration, as well.

Garner High School is full of crime, drugs, and gang activity. The school population is more than some Johnston County towns. There are a lot of at risk students there, and Paul was one of them, well known as such to the school's resource police presence.

The pastor and one member of the congregation met with Paul that night and hooked him up with a hotel room for the night as well as intervention with his family for living arrangements. There are a lot of details to which I am not privy, and other details that I do know and would take up more space to relay than I have.

The pastor of the church dealt with the school to help ensure that Paul would not be just another statistic. Paul did not want to be a stereotype and wanted to make something of his life. Unfortunately, Paul had no motivation to succeed. He was an intelligent guy, but he was mentally and physically lazy. There is no good way of saying it, and I know that he would agree.

Different men of the church took Paul "under their wings" and hounded him to get to school and graduate. Despite their assistance, Paul had already missed well above the allowed absence limit by something like 20 days. At the behest of the pastor, the school administration agreed not to force Paul to repeat his senior year of school and waive the issue if Paul would pass his final exams.

Even with that waiver, Paul failed one final exam and was going to fail for the year. With pleading, prayer, negotiations, Paul was allowed to repeat the one literature class he failed during the summer session. The favor of God was with my friend Paul. He eventually passed that class after much cajoling and pressure by the pastor and others to actually show up to class and study. His discipline was just not there on his own to succeed.

Paul then became a lot more involved with the church fellowship. Different men who owned businesses allowed Paul to work with them and even transported him to work a job he managed to get. Paul even helped do some work on my home here in Selma. He came to church on a regular basis and even to men's prayer meetings. He was getting Godly male advice and love for the first time in his life, apparently.

When deciding what to do with his life, Paul said that he wanted to become a Marine. There was one problem. Paul was not exactly tiny at 260 pounds. Paul started to get motivated towards a goal for possibly the first time in his life. He started exercising, dieting, and working to lose the necessary weight to enlist. His recruiter worked out a weight waiver for him if he got down to 205 pounds. Eventually, Paul was able to ship off for Marine Corps boot camp.

This past Friday, I had the distinct honor of traveling with a group of men, including the church's pastor, to Parris Island to see Paul graduate along with almost 600 other Marines. He had changed his attitude, prepared himself for the rigors of Marine Corps training, and mostly had to deal with the physical challenges of being porky by Marine standards.

I was amazed at how Paul had gotten down to a svelte 185 pounds, was a lean fighting machine, and had a lot more confidence in his communications. Now this obstinate, lazy Puerto Rican boy who squeaked through high school by the skin of his teeth has become a man of honor and discipline, and is on his way to a military career in computer networking.

It never ceases to amaze me how prayer, persistence, God's grace, and the love of God shown through His servants can help transform a life. I am proud of Paul, as well as the men with whom I am associated in their pursuit of one of God's lost sheep. Oh, that I had many more such stories to tell.

Column for July 23, 2009

As usual, since I have been a resident of Selma, I have been following the news about the upcoming municipal election. I peek at what is happening in other towns, but obviously my main focus is upon the town in which I reside, as it should be with residents of every town.

Many people neglect the municipal level of elections and instead focus on the national political scene and maybe even state level. However, no level of government affects your daily life more than the municipal level. Unfortunately, this is most often the most neglected level in terms of voter participation, media coverage, and even candidate participation.

It is at the municipal level (and often the county level) that decisions are taken regarding the water you drink, the electricity you use, the sewer rates you pay, and the property and sales taxes you pay. It is also where you are told whether or not you can build a home or business, whether you have to repair or tear down a dilapidated house, if you have to mow your lawn, and sometimes even how fast you can drive.

The deadline for filing for municipal elections has come and gone already. This year's election will either be very interesting or very dull. I have not decided which. I guess that time will help me with that conclusion.

Incumbents Debbie Johnson and Jackie Lacy have filed for re-election to the Town Council, and Charles Hester has filed for the mayor's job yet again. Hester has two opponents for the upcoming election and there are a total of five people running for just two seats on the Council.

Four years ago, Debbie Johnson was quoted as saying that she was not sure if she was going to run in that election cycle, but she did anyway. Four years later, she apparently thinks that she is a good enough representative to stay in office for yet another term.

Jackie Lacy is an interesting case. I have been to many Council meetings and observed all members of the Council and the Mayor. I like Jackie as an individual, but as a representative in government, I am underwhelmed. I have plenty of more commentary on the ladies, but I choose to exercise self-restraint.

Mayor Hester has been a controversial individual for both of his two-year terms. Though I appreciate the propensity to actually lead, it is no secret that I strongly disagree with his dictatorial methodology and bullying tactics. I don't care how long one has spent in the military in a previous career, a municipality (or any other representative republic) is no place for those tactics. I agree with many of Hester's views but I equally, vehemently disagree with others.

With two opponents this year, it will be interesting to see how the vote is split and whether that will help or hinder Mayor Phineas T. Bluster. With less than a 25 vote swing in the last election, Chucky could have lost to a relatively unknown candidate. In all probability, had the polls not closed an hour later than normal in the east precinct, yielding time to make numerous phone calls and truck in voters for his cause, we would have had a new mayor.

Here is something I want everyone to remember regarding the incumbents. It was under the watch of Debbie Johnson and Jackie Lacy that we got the spending and budget crunch Selma had that resulted in employee layoffs, budget cuts, questionable accounting practices, and are now on our third town manager. It was under theirs and Hester's watch that we had property taxes raised three out of four years, had attempts at forced annexation, and attempts to control private properties up to two miles outside the town limits…all for money and power.

Speaking of property taxes, Tommy Holmes is running again for the town council. Though he and I agree on taxation, one can hardly be a "one issue" candidate year after year. I don't know if Tommy will make any headway this year, and I hope that he actually chooses to participate in candidate forums rather than sit them out yet again this election cycle.

The bottom line, my philosophy is not that we should kick out all incumbents and put in all new leadership. However, the quote from success guru Tony Robbins is axiomatic when applied to elections, not just business. "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." Will voters remember this in November? I doubt it.

Column for July 16, 2009

It is almost hard to believe, but this column makes three whole years of writing "LaPlante's Rants" here in "The Selma News". Over the past few weeks, I have been overwhelmed with a heart of gratitude and have been thanking God for his many blessings. I consider the opportunity to have been able to write my opinions and have people actually read them as one of those abundant blessings. I am grateful not only to God almighty, but also to Rick Stewart, the newspaper's editor, for his confidence in an ordinary guy and his offering me an extra-ordinary opportunity.

I appreciate being able to write things that are "positive" once in a while. Over a year ago, I got to share about a positive experience I had with the staff of Johnston Memorial Hospital, now Johnston Medical Center. Quite honestly, when I first heard about that name change, I was dubious as to its efficacy. I understood the reason behind the name change, since the hospital wanted to re-brand itself and change its image. The hospital wanted to grow into a quality medical center rather than be considered just a Podunk county hospital.

The change to Johnston Medical Center was actually indicative of an internal change. A year and a half ago, I had pancreatitis and was a patient in JMH for almost a week. A close personal friend of mine ends up in JMH regularly for treatment. In December of last year, my wife was dehydrated from symptoms of early pregnancy. Just a month or so ago, I was in a serious automobile wreck but was relatively unharmed (yet another blessing). I still went to JMH for treatment rather than going to Wake Medical Center, which was actually a few miles closer to the scene. On Monday, my wife and I went to the Women's Pavilion for the birth of our newborn son.

I am going to give credit where credit is due. Johnston Memorial Hospital has been transformed in some ways we can not otherwise see. In each of the aforementioned instances, the staff has been more attentive, more friendly, more professional, and treated people like they are people and not just a number or a source of revenue. In times past, while seeing friends and family being treated at that facility, I did not find the customer service to be all that great, much less the level of care administered. The staff has actually done a lot internally to enhance the medical center's image, starting with those very issues. The level of care and just plain customer service have come a long way since I first moved to Johnston County a dozen years ago from Raleigh.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I have made it known to their management that I have indeed noticed such things. Just like when I am at a restaurant, I believe that if I am willing to complain about bad service or bad food, I had better be willing to compliment when I get outstanding service or food. I have literally scared waitresses at dining establishments by asking to talk to a manager when I get outstanding service. The poor waitress usually has no idea why I called for a manager until after my meeting with the boss. After I speak to a manager, I always explain that if I am willing to complain, then I had better be willing to compliment. I feel no different when dealing with co-workers or even with hospitals. JMH has come a long way from the bad service and quality of care that I remember.

In the Women's Pavilion, I got to talk to the unit's director and pass along my compliments to not only her operation but to the hospital as a whole. I expressed my gladness for these changes, which will go much further to change a reputation than advertisements on the radio or a name change. The personal touches we received today were indicative of a tremendous change in philosophy that I have witnessed in other areas of the entire hospital's operation. I am honored to report something very positive for Johnston County and for those who have worked hard at bringing a much better medical environment to the area. That is one thing for which I am thankful, and is to be counted among the many other blessings in my life.

Column for July 9, 2009

On the 4th of July, I got the pleasure of hosting a Canadian family for an evening. Since they are residents of a foreign country, they have never had the pleasure of experiencing an American Independence Day celebration. The sad part is that as a family, they all knew more about American politics and history than most Americans I know.

I must admit that I am not up to speed on Canadian history and politics as much as they are American. I do know a little since Canada and the United States share a lot of common heritage. The first LaPlante set foot in North America in what is now the province of Quebec. My ancestors on my father's side eventually came across the border into New England. Because I was reared near the Canadian border, I have had the pleasure of visiting Canada several times, have been around a lot of Canadians, and have enjoyed a lot of common heritage. After being here in North Carolina over half my life now, I am still finding myself deemed by Southerners as a Yankee. The odd thing is that I was actually born a lot further south than most here in North Carolina.

While my Canadian friends were here, we squeezed in a lot of discussion topics, including politics and religion. My friend, Timothy, has a lot of opinions on both topics. He is the author of several books, newsletters, does speaking engagements, and was even on his way to a conference to discuss such issues when he graced me with his family's presence.

His wife is from Trinidad, and she brings yet another perspective besides either Canadian or American. We all are staunch conservatives both in our political and in our religious views. Subjects were discussed such as the proposed health care system, liberal religious views, education, taxation, governmental control, gun control, welfare, representation, and different forms of government. We discussed how Canada was supposed to originally have a Constitutional Monarchy and how America is heading towards being one. I quipped that in order to afford the proposed health care system, the United States would have to annex all of Canada to widen the tax base enough to fund the system. After all, we could probably invade Canada using just The Salvation Army, much less our nation's standing army. I was informed that Canadian annexation probably would not help in that matter since they have a higher percentage of people on government assistance than we do here in the U.S. Canada is ahead of the U.S. in becoming more and more socialist.

I was informed about the problems Canada has with their health care system, the issues they had in getting family members treated by a doctor, and how they would have better health care if they were simply allowed to pay for services with their own money rather than waiting for government approval and payment. I was also told how horribly similar the American government is morphing into another Canadian systems of economics, form of government, and health care. Wow, I can hardly wait (I type while rolling my eyes).

My friend and his wife, along with the two teenagers were amazed at the firearms that a free American can accumulate if he desires. He expressed how difficult the permitting process was to obtain a single firearm, much less amass a collection of guns and ammunition. They had never had the opportunity to handle someone's rifles and look at handguns quite like they did last weekend and had fun doing so. Unfortunately, we as a state and nation are heading towards the same sorts of restrictions as other nations. I constantly get newsletters and email alerts, and read about various legislative efforts to bring gun control to America.

If you ever watched Schoolhouse Rock in the 1970's and 80's, then you at least have a slight clue as to the American Revolution and the Constitution preamble. I am hoping that people will dig a little deeper and learn more about American history and the reasons behind the politics they see every night on television newscasts. I also pray that people who claim a Judeo-Christian belief system will take their beliefs seriously and apply them to their beliefs towards the world. After all, why let some Canadian know more about your government and history than you do, eh?

Column for July 2, 2009

Sacred cows are mighty tasty. Especially when they are slaughtered by hypocritical politicians. For years, we have heard the mantra, "But it's for the children!" as an excuse to pass tax hikes, bond referenda, and implement spending and education plans that allegedly benefit children.

I had a debate with a friend of mine recently on the proposed budget cut proffered by the NC State Legislature's Health & Human Services conference subcommittee. The budget constraints are forcing across the board budget cuts, and that subcommittee has recommended cutting the SmartStart budget by $28.2 million.

According to the SmartStart's web site, "Smart Start is North Carolina's nationally recognized and award-winning early childhood initiative designed to ensure that young children enter school healthy and ready to succeed." Here we have an award-winning program that is being used as a pattern for similar programs across the nation being essentially gutted of the majority of its recurring expenditures.

As a parent of one child and about to have another within a couple of weeks, do I want my children to enter school "healthy and ready to succeed"? Of course I do. I just believe that such a thing is my responsibility and not a burden for the taxpayers of North Carolina.

I do not believe in the indoctrination of children by an education system, whether administered through a private organization or a state run school. I believe in a parent taking an active roll in their children's education and development. For many parents, programs such as SmartStart, More at Four, What to Be at Three, or Stuff To Do At Two are merely free babysitting services. But of course they are not free. We taxpayers pay the freight on those services. Sorry, but it is not the responsibility of the government to become surrogate parents or provide day care. If you can not afford the expense of children, I am sure that birth control prescriptions will be much cheaper.

I thought that the lottery was supposed to be the savior of education programs in this state. Personally, I am ambivalent towards a lottery. I could not care less whether the state has one or not, as I am not the prudish "it is gambling and a sin" type of guy on that subject. What bothered me about the lottery was that it was portrayed as the necessary savior of our education program funding woes. The lottery legislation was passed under questionable circumstances and on a false premise. That one sacred cow has failed to deliver the promised milk yield.

Now the same sorts of people who wanted to have government intervention and cradle to grave indoctrination systems have decided to cut their precious day care for toddler aged children. Their sacred cow is being butchered one piece at a time. Personally, I am finding it mighty tasty to watch the grilling commence. The "but it is for the children" crowd are eating burgers of their own creation.

If legislators in Raleigh really cared about education, they would have supported the school choice option. Just within the last few weeks, a viable alternative for local education had to shut down. Johnston Christian Academy on Buffalo Road in Smithfield ceased operation. That institution was one of my considerations for schooling of my own child. Now that choice has been removed.

If parents had the ability to take their allotted per child government spending to a school of their choice, then perhaps schools that will offer competitive learning environments would flourish, much as some charter schools do. Competition for students will have the effect of forcing higher quality education services to attract students, including at the government schools. It may not be politically correct, but it would surely be "for the children" and one more sacred cow we could slaughter.

I have heard it argued that the SmartStart proposed cuts would disproportionately affect children who do not speak English, can not afford day care, or have incompetent parents. I have compassion for them, I really do. However, since when it is the government's responsibility to remedy every single family's maladies? More sacred burgers to enjoy, perhaps? I hope so.

Column for June 25, 2009

K.I.S.S. No, I am not referring to a great rock band. Remember that saying? Keep It Simple, Stupid! How hard is that? Keep things as simple as possible. Often, the old ways can be the best. Perhaps old ways have become old for a reason; they work.

Simple things can go a long way. A little simple affection from a spouse or child can go a long way. A little simple maintenance on a car can also go a long way. Simple things in town can go a long way. I want to share some simple things with you that have been of great benefit and something not so simple that is a bane to all North Carolina citizens.

Here in Selma, there are some things being done for the very purpose of simplification. If you have been reading this newspaper, you have seen advertising for public hearings on proposed changes to town ordinances. Many of them are for the better. A few, not so much, and I have pointed those out in past articles.

Some of the simplification for the better include the town's Planning Department attempting to get rid of the complex charts and tables in the town code for zoning regulation. Since I have been on the Planning Board for a while, I have had the privilege of seeing some of the work being done to that end. It is good to see some common sense and simplification. Keeping things simple and comprehensible will make code compliance and enforcement much easier.

Tangential to that is the performance of some simple things that go a long way to enhance the town's image. As you may have read, the town has worked to put a little more bite into its enforcement of the ordinance prohibiting tall grass growth in town. That is a simple thing that helps neighborhoods to look better and preserve property values.

One of the worst offending properties of this ordinance is right next door to me. The house used to be nice but is abandoned and in a state of disrepair. Every summer, I have to contact the town several times to complain. A $50 dollar fine is not going to get an absentee property owner to cut their grass. The town added hourly fees for labor to mow properties that are out of compliance. Perhaps that will help get action by property owners. If not, at least the town can continue to mow the lawns when they are out of compliance and keep the town looking better, all the while billing neglectful property owners.

I had conversations with property owners in times past about this concept. I am all for private property rights. I believe my record on this is clear. However, the rights of a property owner end where my property rights begin. Tall grass up to my chest is unsightly, is a breeding ground for insects, mice, and snakes, and affects the property values of neighboring tracts. I did not by a house next to the Muster's haunted mansion. I bought a house next to a house that at one time was fairly nice. Because of total neglect by absentee owners, that property and its lot have become a barren wasteland. That affects me. I have more problems now with fleas than ever before because of the jungle next door. If I choose to relocate, I will have a harder time than normal selling my house if tumbleweeds and prairie grass are blowing in the wind next door.

To the town council of Selma, I give thanks for their action on that issue. There are plenty of other simple, inexpensive things we can do as a town to improve. I only wish the State of North Carolina had the same view.

I read that Governor Perdue is calling for higher taxes "to save" education. If money was the solution, then we would have the best educated students in the entire world. We spend a tremendous amount of money on education in North Carolina and across America. Yet we get comparatively low results for those dollars. Obviously, the answer is much simpler than throwing money at the problem.

Instead of K.I.S.S. principles, we hire more principals. Instead of returning to rudimentary, time tested methods of teaching, we return sometimes untested and unqualified educators to the classroom and demand more money for their retention. Instead of operating on minimum staffing, we acquiesce to teachers' unions and settle for minimum results with maximum staffing. We obviously need to simply K.I.S.S. the current education system goodbye and stop robbing both taxpayers of their money and students of their education. Simplicity goes a long way.

Column for June 18, 2009

What Bizarro parallel universe is this again?

Before I start my normal rant, I wanted to take a moment for reflection. I am thankful that more people were not killed or injured in the explosion at the Con-Agra Foods plant in Garner this past week. In my years in emergency response, I have never personally been to such a large scale conflagration, for which I am also grateful. I have a friend who was in the facility at the time, as I am sure may be the case with other readers, as well. Fortunately, my friend was unharmed. Other families and individuals were not so fortunate. As I continue to thank my God that my friend was alive and well, I also thank Him that there were not more people seriously injured or killed in that explosion than was the case. I invite you to join me in those prayers of thanksgiving and for the recovery and comfort of the victims and their families.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.

I often ask the question, "What Bizarro parallel universe is this again?" I have been reading the headlines of various news outlets and am scratching my balding, sun burned, shaking head.

People often think that the nation of Iran just plain hates the United States. There are, however, many freedom loving people in that country. Just this past week, there was an election in which there was obvious fraud, and freedom lovers have been protesting the election results. A dictator never relinquishes power willingly. As Vladimir Lenin so eloquently put it, "Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything."

People are willing to risk their lives to simply express their outrage about their government's actions in Iran. Dissidents are being beaten, tortured, arrested, and suppressed. Links to the outside world and media are being severed. And yet citizens there by the thousands are willing to continue to let their outrage be made known.

Cross the ocean to America, the supposed bastion of freedom in the world. We saw a few "tea party" demonstrations. We had some "Take Back Our State" rallies. People are indeed demonstrating, but I do not see the level of disgust, passion, and outrage seen in Iran. We have watched our freedoms diminish incrementally. We have seen election fraud. We have seen outright scandal and cronyism, especially at the state and federal levels of government. And yet the outrage seems to be a dull roar compared to what we are seeing in Iran. Something just seems backwards to me.

On one news web site, I just read had this headline: "Former President George H.W. Bush: 'There's too much government intervention into everything...too much spending…'"

All I can say is, "Wow, George…ya' think??" Where was your advice when your son was running up our spending and national debt? Sure, debt and spending are far worse now than when Junior was in office, but a lot happened under the younger Bush's watch. In the breeze, I hear the faint echo of "Read my lips…no new taxes." Hypocrisy only goes so far. What parallel universe is this again?

I was astonished with another of today's headlines. Apparently, we have released four prisoners who were detainees at Guantanamo Bay and flew them to Bermuda for release. Let me get this straight. We took four men captured in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and released them in a tropical paradise. Instead of dumping them from an airplane with no parachute in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, we dumped them upon the people of Bermuda so they can swim in a tropical resort and potentially become British subjects with travel privileges. What Bizarro parallel universe is this again?

When the health care industry boos the proposed health care (read socialized medicine) plans under the Obama Administration, they are simply dismissed as "fear mongering". I would think that the ones who have worked in the best health care system in the world (regardless of what director Michael Moore has to say) would know better than a man who has never held a real private job in his inexperienced life. Eh, what do doctors know? Professional politicians know better. What Bizarro parallel universe is this again?

The only thing that has made much sense lately is the dismissal of a nepotism receiving public leach like Mary Easley from her over compensated, do nothing job with NC State University. Then again, having worked there for several years when I first moved to North Carolina, I saw a lot of over compensated, do nothing employees at that institution.

There has to be a trans-dimensional portal around here somewhere to get us back to our own parallel universe. But where to find it?

Column for June 11, 2009

Now that the emotional noise has died down about the proposed cut for Selma EMS budget item by the Town of Selma, it is time to consider how next year's fiscal handling of this same matter will play out. As was reported in this very newspaper, the Town Council voted to restore the full $30,000 budget level for the EMS operations.

I am 100% in support of our EMS operations, employees, and volunteers. I have great respect for what they do. I have done what they do for a living. I personally used to ride on an ambulance with a local rescue squad. I responded to sick calls, automobile accidents, and health emergencies. I even still have my expired Emergency Medical Technician certificate in my file cabinet in my office. I have no real problem with the fact that the Town Council voted to restore the budget for the Selma EMS squad this particular time. I do, however, believe it is time for Selma to cease this unjust expenditure.

The Town of Selma is giving money to subsidize a county function. If the Emergency Medical Services for Johnston County are to be run and paid for by Johnston County, then the burden of funding must be the sole responsibility of the county.

Selma is forking over tens of thousands of dollars every year for services that also serve the towns of Pine Level and Wilson's Mills. That being the case, it is patently unfair for the taxpayers of Selma to have the full burden of financially subsidizing the operation of the local EMS.

My thoughts on this subject are much like those I had on the Selma Police Department converting to the county's 911 dispatch center rather than maintaining our own separate police dispatch operations. As county taxpayers, we are already paying for the county's 911 center operations. As Selma residents, we were paying for a duplicate service which is tantamount to double taxation. When the county is responsible for paying for EMS operations with tax dollars and we end up paying at the town level, too, we are in essence being double taxed for the same service.

The tax burden of the money we give the EMS comes from a small pool of taxpayers, which means a greater amount of money per capita for that service. Take that same amount of money and spread it across the larger pool of 157,000 county residents instead of the 7,000 Selma residents, and it is less of a per capita burden. The proposed $30,000 EMS entitlement on the backs of Selma taxpayers amounts to approximately $4.29 per resident (not necessarily taxpayer) whereas that same thirty grand amounts to just nineteen cents per resident of Johnston County. That is a savings of $4.10 for each Selma resident. Furthermore, it places the burden of finance where it belongs and does not unfairly burden Selma residents with subsidizing the residents of its neighboring towns.

Now is the time for the Selma town leaders to work to get the county to pay its own way for its own operations instead of allowing the Town of Selma to burden its own people. The EMS crew deserves to have solid, regular funding from a regular source. Sure, I believe in being frugal with that money and cutting reasonable expenses where necessary and able. I just believe in fair funding, i.e., taxation.

I do have one question in all of this. When the town was allegedly in so much financial distress a few years ago, people were laid off from the town payroll, employee benefits cut, and budgets were slashed, why was the same argument about paying the county's debt not brought up then? Which employee's job could the town have kept with that $30,000? Or for that matter, how many rusted old water towers could we have torn down for that money? It is time to take it up with the county manager for next year's county budget.

Selma Town Manager Richard Douglas, who reportedly was the initiator of the budget cut, is on the right track towards removing this expenditure from the town budget. The methodology and timing of a highly emotional topic, however, were errors in judgment, in my opinion.

Column for June 4, 2009

Putting the right people in office is not a matter of race

I was just in a discussion about the political issues of the day, namely the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S. I was criticized heavily for not supporting a liberal Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court. I was asked if I "suppose America would be in a better state of being if we did not have those in office now? Should we maintain the white supremacist ideology that has tainted and permeated American government for too many generations as it is? Does diversity not matter; especially, when that is the only thing that is going to, even in the slightest manner, offer some degree of balance to the ideology of those serving in public leadership in America today so that we can move toward a better way of life?"

Here is the way I see things. I 100% believe that we would be better off without the current leadership in office, in the White House as well as in Congress. We have been on a downward spiral into socialism for years and now we are head first diving into it. Socialism is a failed system of government, not to mention an unethical one. The assertion that this is a matter of white supremacy is garbage. I could not care less about someone's ethnic background. That is the whole point of "all men are created equal". I vehemently disagree with appointing someone as judge, electing someone to Congress, or to the presidency simply based upon racial background or sex.

Following the Constitution and rule of law has nothing to do with race. It has to do with being a nation of law and following law. As a nation we should not concern ourselves with "diversity". Since when should we forsake our rule of law for the sake of having a diverse representation? Let us take that concept to its logical conclusion. If we were indeed to have a true representation of diversity in our government, 12 - 14 % of our governmental employees, representatives, expenditures, and operations would be Negro. 14+ percent would be Hispanic. The majority would still be white. About 1 - 2% would be Asian. Obviously, none of this holds true in the name of "diversity".

Is the definition of "a better way of life" one that rapes the American taxpayer and funnels money and benefits the way of minorities in the name of reparations, fairness, or correcting any perceived (usually incorrectly) disadvantages? That is just plain unethical, fiscally unsound, and the lazy person's way out of their own paradigm of despair. It is a false hope. It is unfairly burdening my children, grandchildren, and all of yours as well, with massive debt and constraints far greater than those some wish to remove.

The values I espouse are the very ones that drove tens of thousands of white men to die in the name of freeing enslaved people. They are the same values that brought the Civil Rights Act. They are the values that say you can succeed if you put forth the right effort. Yet there is no guarantee of success, just the equal opportunity to try. The world and our culture are based upon the equal right to strive, not the equal right to outcome. That is socialism or communism and is just plain illogical, failed socially and financially, and one of corruption.

And yet we have Democrats championing themselves as the saviors of values and of the minorities in America. Democrats were the ones who fought to keep the enslavement of a race of people here in America. Democrats were the ones who founded the KKK. Democrats were the ones who passed Jim Crowe Laws. Democrats were the ones who stood against integration and wanted blacks to ride in the back of the bus. It was Democrats who fought to keep blacks out of the public schools. It is Democrats who keep telling minorities that they are not smart enough, not good enough, and not able to make it in this country without the help of the government at the expense of everyone else. That is just one form of enslavement for another. Physical enslavement has been replaced with a profound dependency upon Uncle Sam.

We, as Americans, should be more concerned with what is best for our nation, not what is the best make up of ethnicity of our representation. Good representatives will do their job regardless of the color of their skin. Having a black man in office does not guarantee good results for blacks. I have no regard for white folks in office, either. I care about their VALUES, not their skin color. If their values are correct, their actions will be correct for the nation, not one particular group. I will vote for (and have) a black man or woman who has the right core values over an ignorant, liberal white guy any day.

Column for May 28, 2009

Should you be required to own property in order to vote in this nation? "Preposterous", you say, "not in America! That is totally against the fabric of our nation's founding!" Believe it or not, this is a long debated subject that goes back over 200 years.

The Founding Fathers had heated debates about whether or not to include requirements such as property (land) ownership in order to be able to cast a vote. Personally, I believe that to be of great benefit and merit to a nation. I believe it would especially benefit us here in North Carolina, in Johnston County, and in little old Selma.

In August of 1787, the Philadelphia Convention was meeting to discuss their first outline of the revised constitution. It was the middle of summer 212 years ago in a building with no air conditioning. The doors and windows were all shut and the drapes drawn closed. Men were hot in their temperature as well as demeanor. And representatives of the several states were debating the merits of various proposals line upon line, precept upon precept.

One of the principal architects of the Constitution, Gouverneur Morris (that was his name, not his title) of Pennsylvania argued strongly for land ownership as a requisite for suffrage. Benjamin Franklin argued against the concept, lauding the common man and the responsibilities for the elected to not limit the freedoms of the electors (voters).

Which view is correct? Is it legal to restrict who can vote? In the Constitution, we presently have provisions that one can not be denied the right to vote based upon race, sex, and failure to pay a poll tax for anyone over the age of 18. However, there is no provision that says you must own property. Nor is there the provision that you can not be denied the right to vote if you do not own property.

Here is the wisdom and how it applies to us. Here in Selma, the last statistic I heard was that 61% of the residents are renters. That means that only 39% of the potential voters directly feel the bite of property taxes for the town and county. Why should someone who does actually pay taxes in this town be able to vote for someone who is going to determine the level of taxes the minority of us property owners pay? Is that fair? I say not, since they do not have a reasonable self-interest in how residents are taxed.

I also feel the same way about income taxes. Should anyone who does not actually pay income taxes be able to elect those who will set the income tax rates and determine how tax dollars are spent?

People who receive public tax money for their livelihood are dependent upon the entity from which they receive their stipend. Therefore, if these same people are eligible to vote, they will elect those who will most likely continue to support them financially. This is the insidious plan that has been in place since the 1960's. Enslave people financially and they will vote against the interest of the masses for their own benefit. A suckling pig will not voluntarily diminish its food source.

The term disfranchisement was used even in 1787. The term was not invented in 2000 when some falsely accused George W. Bush of "stealing an election". The term was then used in regards to placing qualifications on the right to vote. The term of "taxation without representation" was a long used battle cry in the young nation and part of the reason for the revolution. Just as bad, however, is "representation without taxation".

That last concept was not lost on some of the states in the 1700's. There were indeed such restrictions or qualifications for people to be able to cast a ballot. Their reason was much the same as mine; that people who pay taxes actually have an interest in how the government that extracts such taxation uses said monies.

I am under no illusion that we will ever see such qualifications for the right to vote in this nation, state, county, or town. I would settle for having all who would cast a ballot considering the good of the whole population rather than their own dependencies. That sort of thinking has gotten us career politicians, higher taxes, insane government spending, massive debt, and corruption. Some of our Founding Fathers had great wisdom...but that wisdom is lost unless we are willing to learn from them.

Column for May 21, 2009

United States being prepared for the New World Order and the end times

Sometimes I can relate to the Prophet Jeremiah of ancient Israel. He had a job given to him by God to speak words of warning to a rebellious nation. The sad thing is that he was even told that his words would not be heeded. He uttered words of warning without much effect on a nation headed towards destruction.

Over a year ago, I got a feeling of impending calamity that was greater than usual. I had been sounding warnings not only in the political arena but also in the church world for years. In case you are wondering why I would interest myself in both subjects, I will quote one ministry that I have heard numerous times on a radio program. "Politics determines how we live here on earth. Religion determines how we will live forever."

I have known for years that the nation was going to slide towards immorality and financial ruin. I knew it by simply watching the government and our nation as a whole. I also saw the same thing by watching the state of the church in America. As the churches go, so go the people, and so goes the nation. Years ago, we all saw prominent ministers with huge television followings fall and a decay in moral standards in the church in general. In recent years, sexual immorality has plagued ministers. Catholic priests, famous personalities, and not so famous ministers alike, some of whom I have known personally, have fallen into sin with sex and money.

This past year, I have really shied away from prolific writing, blogging, talk shows, and message forums for which I had become known and to which I dedicated a lot of my time. The time to see what I had warned against was going to come to pass and quite frankly I did not want to pop a blood vessel spending the energy dwelling upon such.

I have been reading up on church history lately. As I have stated in this very column, I have also been reading a lot of American history and founding documents, especially behind those who wrote those documents. The more I read, the more I am amazed at how warnings have come for literally hundreds of years and yet people do not respond. Nor do they recall history.

I truly attempt to tread lightly on the church history and warnings against abuses in Christendom, using wisdom where I can. Sometimes, however, I just have to stomp on a few grapes and become the winepress. In politics, I have a similar tendency to be blunt but have a more reckless attitude. Believe it or not, the two are oft intertwined.

Just Monday, I was reading the notes on the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Rufus King warned on August 7th, "A great vice in our system was that of legislating too much." I have decried greatly legislation that even our own Congressman has sponsored. I have decried state legislation that has limited liberty and punished average people. I have decried local government regulation that extended authority, curbed freedom, and taxed the citizenry greatly. Obviously, this is not a new concept, considering that Rufus King uttered that warning almost 221 years ago.

I believe in fairness, so I will not point a finger exclusively at the Obama Administration on the nation level, or at the Perdue Administration on the state level. When George W. Bush was pushing legislation running up debt at an unprecedented level, I squawked. When I saw the effort to double the national debt (which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate) in just the first 100 days in office I squawked about the Obama Administration, too. Obama proposes to double the debt again within 10 years and in his own words, is "unsustainable".

In some trains of theological thought, there will be a one world dictatorship and a one world economic system. The fact is that this could never happen with an America that is economically strong. We could only succumb to this idea if we were in a position of great weakness. If this is theologically accurate, then I can see that this nation is being set up to accept just that very thing.

Just as Jeremiah had to watch Nebuchadnezzar besiege Israel, I have felt as he did in watching my country being besieged, just by other means.

Column for May 14, 2009

Determine your core values and stand thereupon

A friend of mine commented to me a few days ago that she thought I was a Libertarian, meaning a member of that political party. I must admit that many of their beliefs fall within my scope of opinion. There are some views, however, with which the Libertarian Party and I diverge.

I had commented upon my support for Chad Adams for the chairman's position for the Republican Party of North Carolina. I left the Republican Party several years ago because I saw a serious leftward slide in the party, lack of local support at the county level for local candidates, and a general malaise amongst the GOP leadership.

I have met Chad, corresponded with him, and read behind him for several years. He and I have many of the same values when it comes to the role of government, the size of government, and personal freedom. I had commented more than once that if Chad wins the chairman position, I may just be persuaded to rejoin the Republican Party.

Chad is not necessarily a politician, but he is what I consider to be a core values sort of guy. He is what he is and sticks by his beliefs. I am very much the same way. I have values applicable to politics, religion, family, and most other facets of life. My values have been forged over time, have been revised, and often extended as I have read, studied, prayed, and fellowshipped with others.

My core values, though many of them are similar to the Libertarian Party, are antithetical to that party's current platform. For instance, I am staunchly pro-life in the abortion debate. When standing for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", nothing could embody that view more than standing up for the rights of the unborn. As a former fetus, I am glad that I am allowed liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and above those two, life. That is just one example, but it is one of my core values.

By the way, this is a core value that I did not always hold. It is one that came as a result of maturation, a total change of heart, God's grace, and logic. At one time, I was an ardent supporter of a woman's right to choose an abortion. I assented to this to the point where, and I am not proud to admit this, three of my own offspring were slaughtered in utero when I was a young, stupid heathen. This is just one reason that I am excited about the upcoming birth of my firstborn in about 10 weeks.

Core values can get you into a lot of trouble. They can also be the only way you can withstand with peace of heart. Core values can cost you a lot. They have me during my lifetime, and yet it is because of those losses that I have learned to stand firm.

I fellowship often with church people. I have said for years that one of the greatest parts of being a Christian is that you get to be around the saints of God. I have at the same time said that one of the worst parts of being a Christian is that you have to be around the saints of God. This dichotomy has at times made me gregariously misanthropic. Yeah…I know…but just look it up.

My core values in the faith have been tried. When years ago I was booted out of the very church congregation I co-founded, I had to stick by my convictions. It took years, but I have enjoyed a little slice of vindication in the past few months. Without those core values, how could I know I was doing the right thing when I stood firm?

My point is that in politics (just as in matters of religion, etc.), I have opinions. Those opinions are based upon careful consideration of what my core values should be. My friend who thought that I was a Libertarian because I was not a registered Republican recognized some values that were similar. I am libertarian in my views, meaning that I believe in liberty and the God who gave us our liberties. I am not Libertarian according to the so-called political party. My values make up who I am, not some party name.

Political parties come and go, slide to and fro in their platforms. I have resolved that my values, however, are forged and will stand. They may continue to be refined as I continue to age and mature as a man, but they will guide me nonetheless. If your political party has left you, then you are in good company. If your church denomination has left you standing on your core value beliefs and you watched their collective values slouch towards Gomorrah, you are in good company. Forge your values, then stand firm.

Column for May 7, 2009

Swine flu, government control, and your personal freedom

It is axiomatic that those who have power do not voluntarily relinquish it. Rather, those with power usually seek more of it. We have seen this as a society on all levels of life, whether it is business, small town government, state, or national government.

I have received scathing reviews for pointing these things out, though they should be plain as day even to a casual observer. Along with the warnings about power grabs have come real life examples. Yet I was called an alarmist, as if I was the little boy who cried wolf.

What happens when the wolf is indeed stalking his prey? What if the wolf was so cunning that he was able to take advantage of a diversionary scare in order to secure his position? Folks, that is exactly what we see going on right now.

I type this while coughing from time to time and sniffling. This is not to mention the lack of energy that comes from the onset of a head cold. And yet I don't mind saying that the current scare of the Swine Flu is no big deal. In fact, I am tired of hearing about it. Every day, every hour, newscasts are barraging us with fears of some mild strain of influenza. Why are we hearing so much about it? It is a mere scare tactic to condition sheeple into accepting government directed control for the sake of avoiding an epidemic. And the news media is soaking it up for a lazy sell in order to have something to report.

Amongst the clamor of the alarmist rants about an epidemic, I have actually heard health experts occasionally get their message through that the Swine Flu is nothing to worry about. In fact, there will be fewer cases of Swine Flu infections than normal influenza. And yet we hear the newest death toll each hour on the radio.

Scared sheeple will buy into the tactics and allow themselves to be controlled over something minor. Yet these same sheeple have criticized people like myself who have been warning about socialist incursions into our everyday lives.

I was told I was crying wolf about socialism and yet now the federal government owns huge chunks of General Motors, Chrysler, AIG, and Citi Bank at your expense. I was told I was crying wolf about attempts at gun control, yet I have read about legislative bill after bill that provide for stringent restrictions on your freedoms. I was told that I was crying wolf about the increasing control on what you can and can not express in public, and yet I read just this week about a mayor of a small town that had one of the town council members arrested for speaking his mind at a town council meeting. The list goes on and on, folks.

I am amazed at the hysteria over a mild strain of influenza by both the government and the media and yet there is no call for sealing off the southern border of the United States, which is where most carriers of this illness enter the country. Of course it would not be politically correct to call for that, since these same people are the ones who want wide open borders and do not mind an influx of people from third world nations full of disease.

In the Bible, in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus said, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." That is a good principle to follow in life in general, not just in Christianity. We are told that there are "wiles of the devil". There are wiles of the world's system as well. One very effective wile is to scare people into accepting more and more control and to give up more and more freedom in the name of peace or safety. As Benjamin Franklin said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

In the coming days, keep watching the news, keep listening to the tactics employed by the mainstream media, and watch what our governments at all levels do. You will see the Law of Entropy at work. It does not only apply to thermodynamics; it also applies to our society as well.

Column for April 30, 2009

The fun you can have with a little boy in the house

I can not count the number of times that my lovely bride has made the comment that she already has two boys to raise and now has another on the way. She has one son, there is me, and then Troy Junior who will arrive in about a dozen weeks. My father had five boys, my brothers all had mostly boys, and I had a lot of male cousins. I am used to how boys play and interact. My wife, having only a sister for a sibling, is getting a lesson in what boys are about.

Since we married in October, there has almost never been a dull moment in the LaPlante household. With two dogs, two cats, three birds, a kindergartener, a mother-in-law, and a newlywed couple, things are often boisterous. I have wanted children for years, and I am having a glorious time being a father.

Boys are different than girls, which was actually a headline some years ago for a major national news magazine. Since I had a younger brother while growing up and was raised with a sharp, New Englander, sarcastic sort of wit, I know the fun one can have with a boy in the house, much to the chagrin of my lovely bride.

My step-son is now at the age where he is discovering new words and the fact that boys and girls are indeed different. I am constantly amazed at how children categorize things. In his words, "girls do not have pickles". This is news to a six-year-old, and I can only chuckle. I can tell that I am going to have a chat with him in the not too distant future about some things.

With my propensity towards humor in every day life, I often find humor in things that make my bride blush. The boy came up to her one day and asked, "Mommy, is _____ a bad word?" My wife was aghast with the shock of the question and I was about rolling on the floor with laughter. I was informed how I was not helping the situation whatsoever. Meanwhile, I was wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes.

One day, I was driving on Pollock Street in Selma, and seeing the establishment, the boy asked, "What is a pawn shop?" My answer was simply, "They sell chess pieces". His reply was simply, "Oh," while his grandmother fought to hold back her laughter from the passenger seat.

John has just found out that he likes showers instead of always taking a nightly bath. I love the fact that the shower curtain is drawn, because he does not see me coming like he would if he was taking a bath, instead. A cup of cold water dumped over the top of the shower curtain and onto an unsuspecting child is a favorite past time. Ah, I can hear those little screams of surprise now. I can expect some payback eventually when he gets tall enough to retaliate. I am sure he now has a new tactic to practice on a baby brother of his own some day, as well.

I wish I had my video camera ready one day when I heard a small boy's voice singing as he banged on his toy keyboard. John loves country music. He was hitting the keys with one hand while holding the toy microphone in the other. In a singing voice that would make Simon Cowell wince, he was wailing repeatedly, "I saw God today," and doing his best George Strait imitation. That was funny enough as it was. Then he proclaimed, "OK, just one more song, then y'all can leave church!" I chuckled softly as I waited to hear what was coming next. He then broke into the 1980's pop favorite, "I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt!" Ah, the things you see and hear without a camcorder in hand. So much for our appearance on "America's Funniest Home Videos".

Speaking of catching things on video, a couple of days ago, I was asked about an old movie that was on TV. "Why is that movie in black and white?" I couldn't resist. My answer was something akin to, "Well, a long time ago, the entire world was black and white. Old movies were made before the earth started to turn color in about 1939. Do you remember the movie, "The Wizard of Oz"? The movie started out in black and white and then suddenly turned to color. We have documented on film for all posterity the world's change over from black and white to color. That is what made that movie so famous."

Yes, sir, I am enjoying being a daddy. And in a few months, I get to have another victim…I mean son to play with.