Simply the Best: The Bean Shooter Man!

Some people are just good at what they do. Others vault into an entirely new dimension and can be called great at what they do! Take for instance the sports world. Most people will accept that Wayne Gretsky, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods are clearly some of the best performers ever in their respective sports. I certainly mean no disrespect by not mentioning the many other great athletes and exceptional performers out there but it's not my intent to focus on these/those superstars.


Today, I wanted to bring someone else into the limelight who has slipped under the radar and been overlooked by many people.

Travel with me (You know I like to travel) to the small town of Seagrove, North Carolina.






Now most of you have never heard of Seagrove. I know I hadn't. It's a small town just about 12 miles south of Asheboro, North Carolina. As of 2007 there were about 257 people living in this town.





Seagrove by the numbers:

(I got off track a bit while I was studying the demographics of Seagrove. Please bear with me.)


Of the 257 people, this is how some of the numbers break down:

• White Non-Hispanic (94.7%) about 243



• Hispanic (3.3%) about 8



• Other race (2.8%) about 7



• Black (1.2%) about 3



• American Indian (0.8%) about 2
  (some people were included in several categories)

Males: 122 (47.6%)
Females: 135 (52.4%)
Median resident age: 40.8 years
North Carolina median age: 35.3 years

For population 25 years and over in Seagrove Education levels:

High school or higher: 74.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 5.6%
Graduate or professional degree: 0.0%
Unemployed: 1.7%
Divorced: 4.1%

Estimated median household income in 2007:

$29,795 (it was $31,250 in 2000)
Seagrove: $29,795
North Carolina: $44,670

There was 1 full time law enforcement officer and 5 registered sex offenders.

Now you might want to draw you own conclusions about Seagrove based on these numbers but before you do, think about this:

In a town this small, I'm sure everyone knows everyone. So if you were a stranger just walking or driving around town, you would stand out like a horse with it's head stuck in a tree. But you'd also be 5 times more likely to run into a registered sex offender than a full time police officer. And if you have a graduate degree, you'd probably be the most formally educated person in the town, unless there happened to be someone else just passing through. If you were visiting from say, Plano, Texas where the median income was $84,492 in 2007 - then it's possible that your annual income could be the highest in the surrounding area. We could go on and on....... But let me get to the point. No matter who you are or where you come from or how good you are at playing a guitar, golf, or shooting a bean shooter. The numbers just don't work in your favor. You might be smarter, richer, prettier, faster, bigger, taller than many of the people in Seagrove but the odds are you are not as good as Rufus Hussey at making or shooting a bean shooter. The late Rufus Hussey from Seagrove, NC was simply the best! Not just in Seagrove, NC but everywhere!

Don't just believe me, take a look.

How's that for sling shot skills?

Hussey was not only known for his quick and accurate shooting but also for his quick wit. On January 23, 1986, Rufus Hussey and Johnny Carson went head to head on national television. At the end of the night, viewers seemed to think that Hussey pummeled Carson and introduced him to a good ol' down home spanking. One of the classic lines went like this:

Carson asked if Hussey would like to demonstrate his talents with the slingshot after a commercial break.

"I'd rather shoot the bean shooter than shoot the bull"

That was Hussey! Simply the best Bean Shooter Ever!

Music Monday - U2 Pride (In the Name of Love) MLK Day

Many know that Pride (In the Name of Love)" is a very popular U2 song found on the 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire. It was released as the album's first single. Many may also know that it was ranked 378th by "Rolling Stone" on their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

But how many of you know that it was written about Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Today on Martin Luther King, Jr. day in the United States, this is my pick for Music Monday!

There are two versions. The first is a live version performed by U2. The second is a tribute featuring clips of Martin Luther King and the civil rights era.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted.

George W. Bush- How will he be Remembered?

Gone but not forgotten!

Anyone out there remember 2008 and the race for the Presidency? It wasn't that long ago but it seems like an eternity. What a street fight huh? When the election was over did any of you suffer withdrawal symptoms from the media overload of "Political Campaign Drama?" It's been a bit slow lately hasn't it? Nothing but talk of Tuesday's Inauguration and optimism and hope for change. I personally like that positive psychology.

However, with just a few days left in the second Bush term, there is a very definite Obama buzz humming around the globe but many are also silently wondering how history will view George W. Bush in the years that follow. There are those still taking final jabs at the Bush administration and reminding people that George W. Bush was at the helm during this wreck. I couldn't help but stop by this story on MSN Money today - Cost of Bush Era 11.5 Trillion! Even the most faithful supporters of Bush must be wondering how the $150 Billion surplus inherited from Bill Clinton just up and disappeared. Those most critical of the Bush administration continue to remind us that we will be saddled with this economic debt burden for decades and generations to come and that George W. Bush should always be remembered for his contributions and omissions towards this end.

With due consideration of these valid views, my thinking is that Americans have been pretty forgiving of past U.S. Presidents and this animosity and criticism will eventually diminish. As the days and years pass and the political and economic blunders are untangled, most people remember ex-Presidents as figures who have simply held the Nation's highest political office. The politics of their era or the mistakes they made will be highlighted in the history books and debated and studied at institutions of higher learning for centuries. But at the end of the day, they will be merely a name and a number for many and public opinion will slide more toward the middle. Case in point - Richard Nixon.

Will George W. be any different? Will he be remembered? Loved? Hated?

Will it be for his personality or for the events of his time?

Quien Sabes?

I don't know but here are a few of his signature moments just in case you missed them the first time!

We all make our mistakes. But "W" was noteworthy!

Here's a more recent clip from last week.

"Bush isms.... "Sometimes the words are correct..... they just get put in the wrong order!"

Maybe that's how George W. Bush will be remembered.

Free Cosmetics

Inauguration or Free Cosmetics?

Did you know that you can walk into a department store on Tuesday and get free cosmetics?

While some people are planning social events around the upcoming inauguration on January 20, 2009, others are secretly plotting their strategies for getting their share of the $175 million worth of free cosmetics products that will be distributed to members of the class following a class action suit.

If you haven't heard, $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed to members of the class (follow this link to determine whether you are a member of the class) for a maximum of seven days, while supplies last, on a first come, first served basis, beginning on January 20, 2009. No rain checks will be issued. The products will be distributed at stores owned by the Retailer Defendants (see list immediately below).


The stores owned by the Retailer Defendants that will be participating in the settlement product distribution are the following:

Bergdorf Goodman
Bergner’s
Bloomingdale’s
Boston Store
Carson Pirie Scott
Dillard’s
Gottschalks
Herberger’s
Macy’s
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Parisian
Saks Fifth Avenue
Younkers

A class member will be eligible to receive, while supplies last, a maximum of ONE free cosmetics product from one of the Manufacturer Defendants from which he or she purchased Department Store Cosmetics1 during the class period, May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003.

It sounds like a huge class of people and that all you have to do is walk into one of the participating stores, pick a product, fill out some paper work, and walk away with your settlement.

I'm kind of curious as to what the rush will be like on the stores Tuesday morning. The word is starting to spread on the radios out here and the radio DJ's are really talking it up. I wonder if people will be standing in line to claim their cosmetics or watching the Inauguration.....
I hope to be home watching the Inauguration - but if you're walking through Bloomingdale's will you pick up some cologne for me please?

Stay tuned!

You can follow this link see a list of the cosmetics and to learn more about the class action suit.

Or you can click here for a prior story.

Just call me 3X Please!

Ever do something dumb? Funny? Embarrassing?

I'm sure many of you are thinking..... He's going back to his CTRL + Z post again. But wait a second. I'm not headed there. So let me ask you this.... Have you ever walked around all day with your fly (blouse for the women) open? Have you ever talked with someone for hours and learned later that you had food stuck in your teeth while you chatted? I'm asking about silly stuff like that.

Alternatively, what happens when you see someone else doing something that would be embarrassing for them? Do you tell them about it? For example, if you didn't know me but saw me walking around trailing toilet paper from my shoe, would you quietly tell me? Or would you just laugh at my ignorance and make fun of me when I wasn't looking?

I'm usually very generous with that sort of information. I'm generally happy to tell people they have green stuff hanging from a nostril or lint on their clothes. After all, I'd want to know something like that as soon as possible so that I could limit my exposure. I haven't always been this way though. I once attended an event hosted by Senator Paul Sarbanes with my sister. Nothing too fancy but most of the people were dressed nicely. I'm not sure if it was the two martinis we had or our inexperience at drinking (we were in our 20's) but when an uppity older guy (probably 45 ish and that seemed old back then) walked by us with the tag from the dry cleaners still on his fine Armani suit, we just couldn't stop laughing. We laughed and looked around and couldn't understand why someone in his family hadn't noticed it and pointed it out to him. We didn't have the heart to tell this guy. We just laughed.

Senator Sarbanes with President George W. Bush

And there was the time when I was eating lunch in Portugal with a co-worker. We were dinning with a senior colleague of ours who lived and worked in Portugal and were enjoying some pretty good BBQ chicken. Well, it seemed our senior member was enjoying it a bit more than we were because he managed to smear BBQ sauce all over his cheeks in the process. Did that stop him or even slow him down? Nope.... He continued to inhale his food while we fought back the laughter until tears came from our eyes. We still joke about that luncheon today. But never did we let on to our colleague that he amused us so.

I'm sure that I've unknowingly been on the opposite end of such humorous blunders but that doesn't make them any less funny. I'm happy that I could provide the entertainment. But let me tell you about another such experience that I enjoyed nearly two weeks ago. At the last minute, I discovered that I needed to fly to Sacramento, California for the day. I was able to book a flight on short notice but the flight that worked best for me was on an express carrier that flies smaller regional jets. No problem, I was happy to get a seat with such short notice. I even managed to get an exit row seat which I find attractive because of the extra leg room.

Surprise! Surprise! I walk on the airplane and in the seat next to me is possibly the biggest, widest person I've sat next to in a while. I greeted him pleasantly.... "Hi, How ya doing?" he replied.... "Very Well Thank You!" Not just okay. Not fine. Not alright. But "VERY WELL." Interesting I thought - and I fought back the urge to engage him in conversation and discover what on earth is going so right for him that he can shout out "Very Well" to the "how ya doing" question. Instead, I pulled out my ear phones and plugged them into my ears launching the international signal which says: Please don't talk to me - I don't want to be bothered. I know, sometimes that's a bit rude but I wasn't really interested in playing the 20 questions game. I just wanted to grab a quick nap after a busy weekend and early morning.

Anyway, that's when it started. You know.... The elbow and shoulder footsies game! I'm not a huge guy but at 6' 1" with slightly broad shoulders I've learned that when traveling in anything other than First class or Business class I've got to be prepared to do the shoulder rub thing with whoever might be next to me. And let's not discuss the armrest protocol. That's an entirely different subject. So off I went. I started slowly, leaning mostly into the aisle initially, thank God I had an aisle seat! Before long we were airborne and I tried to relax a bit. I put my head back on my seat and closed my eyes. I pretended that the soft fleshy sensation next to me wasn't the body of some strange man but instead was the cushion of some nice Italian lounge chair carefully crafted to fit my body.

That's when it hit me... Ouch! I thought. Something is sticking me in my arm. Has the lining come free from my luxurious lounge chair to leave a nail or tack to stick me? I opened my eyes and looked down to see the funniest thing!

Oh No, tell me this isn't happening - I thought. Mr. "Very Well Thank You" has forgotten to take the sales tag off of his shirt and it's sticking me in the arm. Yes! Right there not even a foot from my face. So close that I could read it. KMART, Size 3X. I could even read the price. $16.99 each or 2 for $28.00. I'm sure he got the "volume" discount. That's too good of a deal to pass up.

So now I was faced with a dilemma. Do I tell this guy his tag is poking me in the arm and risk the chance of embarrassing him. Or do I suffer through this and pull out my Blackberry and discreetly snap a photo. I pondered..... This will make a great blog post somehow.... (snicker)

And the rest is blog history.

Mr 3X, I'm not sure where you are today but if you find yourself somehow reading this post, please be aware that you have a KMart sales tag hanging from at least one of your shirts! I'd suggest you run to your closet and check them all. Tomorrow you may laugh at me but today it's your turn to be laughed at!

U.S. Airways Lands in Hudson River

Courageous Acts must be noted!



U.S. Airways flight 1549 makes an emergency landing near
USS Intrepid museum!

That's the bad news! The good news is the 148 passengers and 5 crew members are reportedly alive and well and there were no ground casualties. The initial reports indicate that the Airbus 320 ingested birds in both engines on departure from New York's Laguardia airport.

The successful ending of this story clearly highlights the great aviation skill of the pilots who brilliantly maneuvered the airframe to a safe water landing. Additionally, the professionalism of the cabin crew and air traffic controllers, the expeditious evacuation by the passengers, and the speedy recovery by maritime vehicles in the area should also be noted.

When you consider how populated the New York City area is, it's very easy to construct an alternate, more tragic, ending to this story. I'm thankful that we're just looking at the "cold and wet people option."

To the many that made this conclusion possible - God Speed!

Intrepid Remembers!

To read more about the Captain of Flight 1549;

Chesley Sullenberger III - Click Here

Video Pay Day JACKPOT! $ $ $

$ $ $ $ $ $

Assume you walked up to the video payday slot machine dropped in some change and pulled the lever!


Here's what you see:

A fair sampling of the Doobie Brothers "Long Train Runnin', (listen for the guitar chords) a little bit of the Jazzy vocal/instrumental sounds of Al Jarreau, and a splattering of suggestive lyrics like you'd find in a late 80's L.L. Cool J love ballad.

But the following song by Jason Mraz is what you hear.

Listen and see what you think.

That's what Jason Mraz has put together in his song "Butterfly."

So Here's a bit more on Jason Mraz:


Jason was born June 23, 1977 and raised in Mechanicsville Virginia. (This was the site of several Civil War battles including the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek.) He attended a performing arts college in New York City for a short time, studying musical theater before moving to San Diego. After a stint in the U.S, he then travelled around Australia as a ventriloquist, earning some cash before moving back to America to promote his music. He has played with various artists, including Jack Johnson, Paula Cole, Alanis Morissette, The Ohio Players, John Mayer, Jewel, Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw. He has also opened for The Rolling Stones!

Jason is currently promoting his latest studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. which was released on May 13, 2008.

Butterfly will be featured on the right side of my blog under Video Payday for a few weeks!

So let me know. Jackpot? or No Jackpot?

More Creative Advertising

Clever thinking indeed!

And some pretty good acting from Mister Monkey too!

Music Monday! - Celebrating 50 Years of Motown!

On Jan. 12, 1959, the Gordy family loaned Berry Jr. $800 from the family fund so that he could start a record company. Fifteen years later, Motown Records had become the largest African-American-owned business in the United States, turning Detroit, Michigan upside down and launching musicians like Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson into mega music careers! Berry Gordy sold Motown in 1988 for $61 million but the legend lives on......

Berry Gordy, founder of Motown standing outside of the Hitsville House USA

My picks for Music Monday this week include two Motown hits. "Come See About Me" by Diana Ross and The Supremes and "The love I Saw in You was Just a Mirage" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

Please Enjoy!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted.

News Flash - Fashion Memo!

Did I arrive late to the party and miss the memo? Perhaps...... It seems that there's been a revival of the "one glove" look created and stylishly executed by Michael Jackson.







Please tell me it isn't so...... I once sat in a bar with some friends and watched a guy walk by carrying a pitcher of beer and wearing one glove. When I looked again, I discovered it was someone I knew. So I walked up to him and said: "Dude! You're a fashion disaster! The pitcher of beer goes with the construction hat and timberland boots. The one glove look goes with the pitcher of Blue Hawaiians." He looked at me like I was crazy. I don't think he quite got it.



Maybe it was "I" who didn't get it because more and more I'm seeing people walking around wearing just one glove. And it's not always the younger hipper crowd. Today I saw a man in his 5o's sporting the new fashion. Dress shirt, slacks, tie, and a complimentary glove to match. Imagine my surprise. Take a look.

His left hand is clearly in a non-glove state.

Then BAMMM!

He breaks out with the one glove look!

I suppose I can hope that this wasn't a fashion statement at all but simply a manifestation of deep and inner phobias. Fear of touching the germ laden handle of a gasoline pump with uncovered hands. Or fear of going to a business meeting with hands smelling of gasoline. (There's soap, water, and lotion for both of those... but then it wouldn't be a phobia)

Who knows?

But just in case there is an emergence of this forgotten fashion, I'm prepared. After all, I'm a man of the 2000's very in touch with my sensitive and emotional side. I'm comfortable with my sexuality and not a victim of my surroundings. I'm prepared to jump into this fashion trend with a bang! I've even picked out my first sequin covered glove. I'll be sportin' it with a tuxedo and a frilly shirt!

NOT!!!!!!

Courageous Acts! David Proeber

Yesterday while enjoying a nice cup of coffee and browsing the local newspaper collection at my favorite Sydney breakfast spot, I was captivated by a photo taken by David Proeber and featured in The Daily Telegraph. As I stared into the eyes (via the below photo) of what appeared to be a crazed gunman brandishing a pistol and puffing on a cigarette, I thought to myself, this must be an ad for an upcoming action movie. The shootout scene from the movie Heat, featuring Al Pacino, Robert Dinero, and Val Kilmer immediately came to mind. As I read further, I learned that this was the photo of Robert Sylvester, a man suspected of robbing four banks and several convenience stores in Illinois. This was not a scene being created for the big screen but a live event captured through the lens of a courageous photographer.

Sylvester was fleeing police in a high-speed vehicle chase when he stopped his SUV and exited the vehicle. Proeber, who works as a photo editor for The Pantagraph, a daily newspaper located in Bloomington, Illinois; found himself in a precarious situation after following the chase and taking pictures. As Sylvester exited, jumped a median, and ran towards him, Proeber had to make a quick decision to flee or snap. Proeber eventually ducked as the robber came closer towards him and then floored the accelerator- but not before taking 47 photographs of the incident in a three minute period. The 57 year old Sylvester exchanged shots with police but was shot and later died from his wounds.

David Proeber, for taking what may go on to be a Pulitzer prize winning photo, the courage to stare into the eyes of an armed fugitive, and the fortitude to continue snapping photos, I salute you!

Intrepid remembers!

God Speed!

Music Monday - Boys II Men

Can You Stand the Rain?

Whatever happened to Boys II Men?

Based on sales, Boyz II Men is the most successful R&B male vocal group of all time. They recorded five #1 R&B hits between 1992 and 1997 and have sold more than 60 million records

Boyz II Men at the Genting Highlands, Malaysia in 2007. Left to right: Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Wanya Morris.

Nothing too glamorous..... Here's my pick for Music Monday!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted.

Kiss a Soldier!

Most people have no idea!

That's right. Most of us can't truly comprehend how dangerous it has been in Iraq and Afghanistan for our men and women in uniform.

In the above video, you can see a convoy of vehicles approaching. When the lead vehicle reaches the middle of the screen, an improvised explosive device (IED) explodes. An (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. They are typically comprised of conventional military explosives such as artillery rounds, bombs, or mortar shells and attached to a detonation mechanism. This has been the weapon of choice in the present day conflict in Iraq. To date, approximately 40% of coalition deaths in Iraq have been caused by IED's.

Munitions rigged for an IED discovered by Iraqi police in Baghdad in November 2005

This video gives me a whole new level of understanding about how lethal these IED's really are. I've never been that close to an explosion and I don't want to be. I certainly have expanded respect and compassion for those who have lived in such a dangerous environment for so long.

Happy New Year! A Horse's View!

Can you believe it's 2009?

I ran across this photo of Gracie the horse, with her head stuck in a tree, on the Internet today. Several captions came immediately to mind.

Like:

1. If I ever get out of this jam, I'm gonna have a great year!
2. Wow! That was some New Year's Eve Party!
3. So that's where Dick Cheney has been!
4. That's what you get for sticking your nose in other people's business!
5. Everyone listen up! If we add 500 trillion to the bailout money, everything will work!
6. Last chance to bid on Obama's vacant Senate seat!
7. @#%&! Why did I let them talk me into picking Sarah Palin as a running mate?

I had a few racier thoughts but decided not to list them. (grin)

Anyway, it turns out that "Gracie the horse decided to investigate a hole in a tree, but she went a little bit too far and got stuck. Owner Jason Harschbarger of Pullman, W.Va., (See the story) snapped the photo before using a chainsaw to cut Gracie free.

Fortunately, Gracie was not seriously hurt.

I'm pretty sure that many people are sympathetic to Gracie's desperate position after the rough times in 2008. If you find yourself in Gracie's position, my hope is that someone with a "figurative chainsaw" will be coming your way soon.

What did we do before power tools?

All the Best to you in 2009!

May you have a healthy and Prosperous Year!

If you have a caption idea for the above photo, feel free to leave it in the comments section!

P.S. Edit:

Miss Jane Turley has offered these captions:

1. "Oh dear, now I feel like an ass!"
2. "That's the last time I listen to Winnie the Pooh..."