Wednesday, March 19, 2008

School massacre “plot” taken seriously

Since I’ve spent this week in Daytona Beach, I couldn’t help but notice a story in the News-Journal about three middle school kids down here who face serious time for possibly plotting a school massacre. The plot, or at least a plan posing as a real plot, was displayed on one of the kids’ Web page. Kids sure like to have Web pages these days, don’t they? And sometimes these things work against them. Anyway, authorities caught wind of the “plot” and the teens are on the brink of facing serious time behind bars.

Threats, whether real or fake, must be taken seriously and all school-aged children must be made aware that such activity will not be tolerated. Parents must re-emphasize this point to their kids, even if they believe their little angel would never hurt anyone. In this case, even pretend plots can lead to serious jail time. We must do what it takes to keep our schools safe and kids should understand this.

What do you think?

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Rev. Wright confuses me

I really don’t know what to say about Rev. Jeremiah Wright other than if a man is going to use God’s pulpit to preach the word of the Gospel, then I find it disrespectful to the very God he serves to use this pulpit for any other means. Is he trying to win souls, or is he using his position to push another agenda. I thought we were trying to unify this country. Maybe I’m confused. Below is a link that blew my mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW3-seOp1rg

Monday, March 17, 2008

Hangin’ with Tiger

So how’s the weather in Alabama? I’m in sunny, but windy, Central Florida.

I spent Sunday afternoon simply amazed at the skills nearly perfected by golfers on the PGA Tour. Attending the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, I got an up-close look at their talents on display. Not only was I blown away by the distance these professionals hit the ball, but with the accuracy and precision they do it. I’m just happy to hit a ball 250 yards, but these guys do that with easy and pretty much hit the target every time.

And then there’s Tiger.

I was fortunate enough to be very close to three of his best shots in Sunday’s final round. First, I was about eight feet away from the dude when he chipped on to the green from a bunker at the third hole to save par. Later, I was about the same distance away when he nearly chipped the ball into the hole for what would have been an eagle on No. 6. Later, I had a great view of his dramatic approach shot on No. 18 to set up his even more dramatic tournament-winning putt. The dude amazed me with his overall power, chipping and precision putting. I’d like to be good at any of those three.

Bay Hill was a good venue and the Arnold Palmer Invitational was fun for the fans. For $45 per ticket to watch Tiger add to the record books, I’d say it’s a great value. I don’t think Bay Hill’s course is any nicer or much more difficult than Grand National, but the fact it’s in tourist-trap Orlando makes it an attractive stop on the tour. The course had plenty of water holes, so that would be a major issue for the average player. I thought all of the homes around the fairways took away from the beauty of the course, but I suppose when you’re playing the game you should worry about the course itself and not what lies beyond its perimeter. Anyway, those homes were pretty plush. I’d like one, but I don’t have a million bucks.

I would have photos, but cameras aren’t allowed on the course for PGA events, so I complied with the rules. Anyone looking for a decent PGA event to attend in the future, I recommend the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It’s a good venue in a good location. Plus, it’s smack dab in the middle of Orlando’s theme park country. You could see Tiger Woods one day and Goofy the next.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Auburn, Opelika mentioned in SI steroid feature

An interesting article in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated gets deep into the heart of America’s steroid issue, letting readers know the performance enhancers are not limited to major sports. However, one particular article hits home, literally. The story at the link below specifically mentions Auburn and Opelika. Give it a read.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/03/11/steroids.godfather/

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Society Hill, Williamson hotspots for speeders

Now that stop signs have been erected at the intersection of Society Hill Road and Gateway Drive in Opelika, it’s time a speed trap was set up nearby. Why? Drivers of cars, pick-up trucks, dump trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, whatever, simply refuse to adhere to the 45 mph speed limit between the Interstate 85 underpass and the four-way stop intersection on Society Hill Road.

I cannot drive 45 without being tailgated. Speed limits were created for public safety. It disappoints me that the public refuses to acknowledge them.

Opelika police, if you’re looking for a hotspot to nab speeders—I’m giving you one on a silver platter.

No, make that two.

Drivers on Williamson Drive between Society Hill Road and Alabama Highway 169 either cannot see the 35 mph speed limit signs or believes the DOT was joking when they were erected. Again, another a smorgasboard of gas-pedal heavy drivers with no regard to public safety.

OK, I’m off my soap box now.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Mary Ann busted for pot

Heard news today that actress Dawn Wells—better known as Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island—was caught by Idaho police with marijuana in her automobile. I can’t help but wonder what was really in those pies she cooked for Gilligan. The great debate still rages: Mary Ann or Ginger?

Below is a link to a story:

http://www.accessatlanta.com/entertainment/content/entertainment/stories/2008/03/11/DawnWells_E0726.html

Friday, March 07, 2008

Chance of snow again

Forecasters are calling for rain to change over to snow tonight across central Alabama. Places north of Birmingham could get up to two inches, while the Opelika/Auburn area could see a half inch, or maybe even just a flurry. Winter weather is very hard to predict.

If it does snow, that would give us two snowfalls this year, which is rather unusual. I guess we still need the precipitation, whether it’s frozen or not. Then again, we may just get rain. Regardless, it’s going to be cold Saturday. Not exactly golf weather.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Burk family friend sends message

Here’s a strong letter from Dawn Barrs, a friend of the Lauren Burk family:

The tragic death of Auburn-coed and Marietta, Georgia native, Lauren Burk, has received much deserved attention. She was greatly loved by the hundreds who knew her, and she is deeply missed by her still-in-shock family, friends and community.

The violent way in which she died has caused us all to ask, why, even if “it was her time to go,” did it have to happen in such a horrific manner. What possible positive value can there be in this manner of passing, when something more simple, such as a car accident, would leave an enormously more gentle memory for the family to hold. This is the question that I have been asking myself, as a parent. Perhaps her death can serve to force the discussion of two important points:

* The widely varying criteria that colleges and universities use to determine whether to issue campus-wide alerts when a crime occurs

* The way in which colleges and universities deal with publishing or suppressing news and statistics regarding campus crimes

By reading the http://www.auburn.edu website, it is amazing to see that, even though AU has a tested process to automatically notify students (and parents) of any potential threat, this system was not used. This, even though the authorities had tied Lauren’s death (off-campus) with her torched car (on-campus). Obviously, the authorities knew that a lethally armed person was (and still is) at large… and this person was evidently on campus sometime near 9:27pm. Yet, no students were alerted to be watchful, or more obviously, to stay indoors and “lock your doors.”

This imprudent decision “not to act… not to notify” would severely limit my willingness to send my son or daughter to school on this particular campus. The irony, here, is that Auburn’s decision not to use the mass-notification process might have been partially influenced by an awareness that this is the prime season for students to be choosing a college… wrong time for bad press!

In my most generous perspective of the Auburn Administration and Police Department’s underreaction to warning students of a possible danger on campus, these two organizations behaved in accordance with what historical processes have probably dictated. Their error was less a conscious decision than a serious oversight that, when filtered with the very recent images of mass murders at North Illinois University and Virginia Tech, constituted a reaction that was blatantly “not enough.” One might remember that the VaTech massacre began with a murder of a coed, which campus authorities also treated as a single event… yet 90 minutes later, it turned out to be the foreboding of a much more heinous intent.  Auburn University’s underreaction to alerting other students of Lauren’s death illustrates the need for a nationally standardized escalation process that all colleges and universities would be bound to follow. The guesswork of “how intensely to respond” must be removed. Perhaps this is the real purpose of Lauren’s heartbreaking death.

Just as 9/11 taught the airline industry (and even airline passengers) to, never again, view a hijacking event as something to be quietly suffered, Vatech, N. Illinois U. and our beloved Lauren’s death at Auburn University have shown us that the nation’s campuses must have a unified response plan for heinous murders that involve students.

My eyes are still burning from yesterday’s sadness… and my heart is with Lauren’s family and closest friends.

Dawn Barrs

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Tragic death paints negative picture on area

The shooting death of an Auburn freshman Tuesday night was tragic, but students and residents in the Opelika/Auburn cannot suddenly believe this area is any more dangerous than it was before.

Murders have happened in Auburn and Opelika in the past. Murders have happened in Montgomery, Atlanta, Birmingham, etc. It seems the area will be painted by the national media as some sort of collegiate killing ground. It was a random act. Why someone would want to take another’s life is beyond me, but we must realize this is a sick world we live in.

It’s probably a good idea not to venture to some places alone, but that shouldn’t stop you from living your every day routine. This is still a great place to live, work, go to school and raise a family. Whatever safety measures AU can examine, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and examine them for the benefit of all.

Whoever killed Lauren Burk will meet his or her fate.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

What happened to the storms?

A National Weather Service spokesperson called for the chance of “significant tornadoes” in central Alabama early Tuesday morning. What we got was rain and maybe a clap of thunder. Despite a tornado warning or two in southwest Alabama Monday night, I don’t know of any other warnings or damage in the state. Mississippi had its share, but the system seemingly peetered out once it crossed the border.

What happened?

I’m no meteorologist but all I can figure is the nighttime cooling robbed the atmosphere of the much needed warm air to produce destructive storms. Temps hovered at or near 60, which borders on the chilly side. Sometimes it’s good when storms approach at night because of this cooling phenomenon.

Anyway, we got some needed rain out of the deal. Did forecasters cry wolf? Yeah, but they were only relying on the information they were given, and we all know predicting the weather exactly right is a crap shoot anyway. People should continue to heed future warnings.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Warning signs of recession

We’ve been concerned about this thing called a recession for some time now. Folks seem to think it’s inevitable. I read a column written by CNN talk show host Glenn Beck last week where he and another financial expert pinpoint warning signs for a recession and/or depression. Running through the list, I couldn’t help but notice how many times the words “bank,” “mortgages,” and “foreclosures” were mentioned.

It made me wonder where this crisis originated in the first case. It seems that people are buying homes they really can’t afford, among other things. Below is a link to the column:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/17/beck.housingcrisis/index.html

Friday, February 29, 2008

Fan behavior reflection of society

Saw a story in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated regarding the evils of fan behavior at college basketball games. Heckling is one thing, but sometimes the practice becomes downright rude and is a complete embarrassment to the college institution, the fans who are acting normal and the person acting like an ignoramous.

But boorish behaviour certainly is not restricted to college basketball. We’ve seen brawls in football, fans throwing objects on to the track in NASCAR, fights between fans and players at NBA and NHL games and even youth baseball parents jump into the fray from time to time.

Aren’t sports supposed to be recreation, fun? Why are they taken so seriously? What happens on the field has nothing to do with our daily lives, yet many take out their aggressions on people they don’t even know—blasting obscenities in the presence of small children.

This isn’t necessarily a sports fan problem, but a reflection of a society that continues to lose whatever couth their mothers gave them.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Gas prices reaching gloomy status

President Bush was quoted Thursday saying he was unaware of forecasters calling for gas prices to climb to $4 per gallon in the near future. Maybe he hadn’t been watching the news, which obviously is tilted toward one agenda or the other, right? Or maybe he hasn’t filled up the family wagon in a while.

Regardless, don’t rule such forecasts of high gas prices out. It wasn’t too long ago that experts, whoever these people are, predicted prices to climb to $3/gallon. Many said, “no, that’s not conceivable.” Well, we’ve been living with it for a while now. So why isn’t $4/gallon unconceivable?

High gas prices are really putting a pinch on the economy and our personal checking accounts. We can’t force worldwide oil companies to produce more petroleum and lower their prices, but it would be nice. Hopefully, forecasters are wrong and prices will remain where they are. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Area blessed to have beautiful golf courses

I’m still amazed at the number of magnificent golf courses we have right here in east Alabama. You can play 18 without breaking your budget and you can play 18 one some of the most attractive and challenging holes in Alabama.

Pictured above is a view from the second hole fairway on Grand National’s Links course. It’s especacially pretty this time of year because the fairway grass is alive and green and the rough is dead and brown. I like the contrast.

Golf’s another big reason why people keep flocking to the area. I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve met at Grand National who came here simply to get on the course. Met five guys from Lakeland, Fla., last October who played all three Grand National Courses in two days. Two weeks ago, I bumped into a man from Columbiana, Ohio, who was amazed at our area’s golf empire. He probably enjoyed the weather, too. In case you haven’t been to Columbiana, it’s pretty darn cold this time of year.

I’ve enjoyed our courses here, but also have the desire to take on new challenges and play holes I’ve never seen. That’s why I try to play at as many places as possible without breaking the bank. I don’t care if the course is pristine, or a dirtbag. The object is to put the ball in the hole whether the grass is bermuda or crab grass.

I’m looking forward to next weekend, as I’m traveling across the Georgia border to play Saturday either in Douglasville or Cartersville (haven’t decided), and then Sunday in Waleska at Callahan Golf Links. Callahan’s a new facility that really earned my interest. For years, it was a family farm—even near Civil War battlefields. Now, it’s growing birdies and bogeys. Hopefully, this will be a true links style course with less trees, more open space, and tall grass. One day I’ll play in Scotland. Next week I’ll play in Waleska.

Those interested in Callahan should visit its Web site at http://www.callahangolflinks.com

Hopefully, playing at other venues will help me improve my game so I can actually break 100 on one of the courses here without excessive mulligans.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Interesting letter on car insurance act

Received a letter from Opelika resident Buddy Goolsby the other day. In that letter, Buddy brings up some very interesting points. I thought I’d share them with you in this forum:

This letter is in reference to the Mandatory Liability Insurance Act for Vehicles #2000-554, P1005 S1 and the inequities with the insurance companies, the State of Alabama, and the public.

I have had full coverage auto insurance with Alfa Insurance since 1982 with only one claim, which was for windshield breakage. Recently, I let my insurance lapse for several months due to me not being able to drive because of a medical condition. When I tried to reinstate my insurance for the $296 premium on my last notice, I was informed my premium would now be $476 for the next six months because I had not renewed my policy within the 30 to 60 day grace period; therefore, I would have to be covered with risk insurance!

I obtained a copy of the act and discovered the act only protects the cost of your coverage for thirty days from the date your insurance lapses. In addition, the act does not regulate what the insurance companies can charge other than the reinstatement fee. When I questioned the reinstatement fee, I was told by a representative that this fee goes to the state. The act allows insurance companies unrestricted power concerning the premiums they charge after the 30 to 60 day grace period, thus it fails to protect the cost to the driving public. The insurance companies are allowed to “gouge” the public because the state hasn’t passed any mandates to control the insurance companies.

If a person cannot afford to pay their insurance premium on time, then most assuredly they would not be able to afford to pay the extra premium the state allows the insurance companies to charge. This penalty in premiums follows you for one to three years depending on which insurance company you use. In addition, the insurance companies will not give you a quote unless you provide them with your social security number and your driver’s license number. The insurance companies have no need for your social security number except for a credit rating. They charge a higher premium for a low credit rating but tell me why, since you pay in advance for your insurance coverage.”

The driver’s license number gives the insurance companies the ability to check your driving record, which is needed to determine your risk as a driver and therefore adjust the premium accordingly. Your driver’s license number also allows them to check your insurance coverage record. They then can determine if your insurance has lapsed and for how long it has been lapsed. Any quote you receive for auto insurance coverage from any insurance company will reflect the penalty for lapsed auto insurance. I called several insurance companies and I received approximately the same quote from each of them.

It is time for our Alabama legislature to act to protect the driving public. The legislature has mandated that all drivers have liability insurance but they have failed to protect the public from unreasonable insurance premiums. There must be some compromise between the driver and the insurance company when a driver is unable to drive a vehicle.
Furthermore, if a person is unable to afford the regular premium, then they surely cannot afford the higher premium penalty charged for lapsed insurance. The insurance companies must be held accountable too.