FreeSpeech for 03-25-09

Tue, 03/24/2009 - 3:48pm
By: The Citizen

Attention law enforcement: If you are going to stop someone for “speeding,” how about stopping folks for not having their headlights on in the rain? Both are against the law and can be just as dangerous at times. As an added bonus, more people drive without their lights than speed, so look at the extra revenue you could collect.

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Driving Lesson 101: When two vehicles at opposite sides of an intersection are waiting at a traffic light, both wishing to turn in the same direction onto a multi-lane road (like our new, six-lane Ga. Highway 74), follow this procedure. When the light turns green, they each should turn into their closest lane. Thus, the person turning left to head north would turn into the leftmost lane and the person turning right to also head north would turn into the rightmost lane. There is no need for the person turning left to wait until several oncoming vehicles have all turned right, although obviously she should proceed cautiously. And brickbats to those “courteous” drivers who can’t bother signaling. Here endith the lesson for today. Sheesh, it’s no wonder there are so many places in this town where you can’t turn left without a green arrow.

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What’s the deal with everybody driving around with their fog lights on? Do you have no consideration for other drivers? You may as well be driving with your high beams on, since you’re blinding all oncoming traffic. Thanks a lot.

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Does everyone know that the median stretch of Ga. Highway 54 in PTC from Hwy. 74 to City Hall was landscaped so beautifully by Floy Farr (God rest his soul) at his own expense to the tune of $10K? This stretch is where Harold Logsdon whines all the time about the traffic backed up. Now, what do we all do when the traffic is backed up? We sit and look at the surrounding landscape. Who has looked at it lately? Weeds, no pruning of plants that need pruning every spring, no mulch, and more weeds. No Public Works crew to do this simple task, and it is one of the most obvious examples yet of our crappy government decision-making. Mr. Farr was so proud of this city, and he left this (once beautiful) legacy, and this is the gratitude our mayor and council show.

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To the lady that wants to continue to trespass on a “certain association” private path because it’s the neighborly think to do, why stop there? Wood Creek has a great water slide you should have the “right” to use, even though you don’t live there. And you should have the “right” to ride your cart over to Whitewater for a free round of neighborly golf. That should help relax you in this time of “stress and strain.” Oh, by the way, when can you get me a key to your private club house? We don’t seem to have one, and that would be neighborly thing to do. Please don’t expect me to pitch in and pay for the upkeep or your bills or clean up after myself, because that wouldn’t be “fair.” Your parents obviously forgot to pass on some basic rules of life, so here is what I teach my children: Use your manners, obey the law, take responsibility for your actions, don’t take what is not yours, and the hardest one to learn, life is not always fair.

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Dear new neighbors, welcome to the neighborhood. Now that you have been here for a while, here are a few rules for you to remember. Number one, please do not park your cars on the yard beside your driveway; it is tacky and against the covenants. Number two, please do not place your garbage can in the street. Look around and you will notice that you are the only ones in the entire neighborhood doing this. Everyone puts them on the edge of their driveway for a reason. On school days, the traffic is heavy in the morning, and you are blocking traffic. Number three, I know you are new to golf cart driving, but please do not drive down the middle of the street when there are cars behind you. Pull over to the curb and drive so that we can pass you, and please, please, please do not let your underage children drive your golf cart. It is unsafe and illegal.

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I am incensed at the person who questioned why there are five interpreters on payroll for the Fayette County Board of Education. You are so consumed with money and numbers (because all you looked at was the government website giving salaries) you couldn’t get out of your tunnel to think maybe their purpose was for needy children. Your answer as to why they are employed was because the children didn’t speak English. For your information, the truth is four of the five interpreters listed on that webpage serve our deaf population. I can’t help but believe if you have children that they were blessed with the sense of hearing. Unfortunately not all parents are that lucky. You also felt very strongly that to save money, one interpreter could meet all the students’ needs and travel from school to school. I am sure the deaf population would gladly give up their deafness to speak any language. How would you like your child to only hear science class or only hear math class during the day because the one employed person who can give them equal access to the world around them has to run across the county to allow another deaf student to hear only one subject that day? Fayette County is blessed to be able to give each of our deaf students an interpreter for the whole school day. This allows them what is rightfully owed to them: a free and equal public education, just as all students are entitled to. The bottom line is not always money. Get your facts straight before you insult those of us who work with the students of the Fayette County School System, deaf or not.

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I am appalled and dismayed at the person who wrote in about the Fayette County Superintendent’s pay and the five interpreters. I thought folks in Fayette County were more intelligent then that. Dr. DeCotis salary is in line with surrounding counties, and I feel he does an outstanding job. You really need to look at the board and see what kind of job they are doing. Fayette County still is considered the best county to send your kids. Just check the Internet for statistics and you will see that this is true. As for the comments about the five interpreters, four of them serve the deaf population and the person needs to quit looking at webpages that post salaries and that is all they see. They don’t go around the county interpreting Spanish or Japanese or any other speaking children. These folks do an outstanding job and the deaf children are afforded the same rights to an education as all other children by law. I feel everybody is up in arms about the cuts and the budget concerns. You know if you don’t receive the tax dollars from the county and the state funding due to the economy, you have to balance the budget and make some very serious decisions. Please get off the whiner train and let these folks do their job and still support the children’s best interests.

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My son came home today from Starr’s Mill High School and mentioned casually that in three of his classes, they’d watched basketball due to the March Madness games. I am sorry. I had assumed he was in school to get an education. He informed me that one of the classes had a substitute teacher and “had nothing else to do” so the TV was turned on. I have absolutely nothing against educational videos in the classroom, but was unaware that tournament basketball was part of the curriculum. Also, I had no idea that betting on the tournament by minors was condoned in a school setting. My student was really taken by surprise by his parents’ shock. He mentioned it as a casual, off-the-cuff remark. In other words, he was not lying to get anyone in trouble at all. Neither his father or I were amused. Way to go on instilling a sense of the value of education.

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Real estate people — where do they go after this big bust? There is much less of a need for the marginal performers now. A lot are gone — Realtors, mortgagebrokers, lawyers, etc. The ones that scare me the most are the bad builders. The good builders will hang on and come back. But what about the bad builders? You know, the “wood butchers.” What are they doing? I fear that they are going in to “remodeling.” I think I’m going to google “remodeling nightmares.com” and see what comes up.

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To the Free Speecher who thinks she deserves free natural gas: where does your reasoning end? EMC is a business, not a charity. The people employed by EMC are your friends and neighbors, but you don’t seem to care if the company makes enough money to keep them employed. So where do you expect your payment for what you decided to use come from? The government? Do you think American taxpayers are responsible for your debt? Any way you look at it, you are expecting those that have and do to bear the responsibility of those that don’t, won’t, and in small cases, can’t. The benevolence of Americans has always taken care of those in need. And why does Fayette County, disproportionately, offer more help to those in need than any surrounding county? Because Fayette citizens earn more and give more. This class warfare and entitlement mentality that our liberal government and biased media have brainwashed you with is destroying our collective “Can-Do!” spirit. But not to worry; you won’t be able to bite the capitalist pig hand that feeds you for too long, since your leaders have decided to reduce charitable contributions through taxation and take on the role as nanny-state. And since the government has NEVER run anything as well as the private sector, you’ll be lucky to get your daily allotment of natural gas at all. Then the only person you’ll have to blame will be yourself, for subscribing to such anti-American, socialist ideology in the first place. It seems you are of the mentality that you won’t be happy until all of America is equally ruined. Shame on you!

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I’m old, not stupid, and I have enough sense to know that no one is going to walk up to me and give me something for free. So go to the grocery store and drug store and quit talking to people that walk up to you in the parking lot.

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To the AIG whiner of last week: How gullible are you? Do you not understand that when you throw a bunch of money at a junkie, they just do more of the same? Don’t you expect that your government knew exactly what it was getting into before they decided, against the will of the people they represent, to give away your money to those who showed egregious bad judgment and business practices in the first place? And why in the world are you upset that a legal, binding contract be upheld? And lastly: you are more concerned with less than 1 percent of where your tax dollars went than the several hundred millions that went overseas, to special interests, to the banks your congressional leaders’ spouses run, to terrorist nations, etc. Grow up, and stop being a sheep.

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Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sun, 03/29/2009 - 1:29pm.

must be off the scale.


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Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 6:58pm.

You both need to check in.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 12:16pm.

I just saw two beautiful Deer in my front yard!!

Has Dollar, Bonkers, et al checked in? MYTMITE? I really hope all is OK with them.

Tug Smiling


eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 12:58pm.

Isn't it funny that several of us are concerned about "the bonkers gang"! Wonder if anything is wrong?

By the way, where is ole' Git, or have I just missed his words of wisdom.


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 1:43pm.

I really hope nothing is wrong with Bonkers, Dollar et al.

I haven't been on here much. I just check in sometimes and see the same people fighting among themselves and I log off.

Git is missing too? I didn't know that. Maybe he's on vacation.

Tug Smiling


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 7:05am.

Maybe, we can get out of this stage 4 drought condition so we can wash our cars.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


The Wedge's picture
Submitted by The Wedge on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:43am.

Where is Fayette county at with its drought status? The south side was always better off from the North of I20 line. Our reservoirs appear at capacity, but I am certainly an untrained eye. What is our status?


Submitted by AtHomeGym on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 9:06am.

All I know is that Lake Horton is as full as I've ever seen it!

Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:47am.

I believe the status is noted in our water bill.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


The Wedge's picture
Submitted by The Wedge on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:55am.

The Wife of Wedge pays the bills. I know what we spend, but not the bills themselves as she uses online for it all. I will have to search our records. Thank you


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 9:08am.

activity in my household. Mrs Cy tends to spend money like a certain political group. Smiling
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


TinCan's picture
Submitted by TinCan on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 1:46pm.

Cy,
There's no way possible that we both can be married to the same woman is there?Eye-wink


The Wedge's picture
Submitted by The Wedge on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 10:14am.

The Wife of Wedge is much better with the money now that she knows all the bills and what is coming in. We are a good team as I travel quite a bit. We hold each others political views, but I am a faster writer. She reads these but never enters her own


carbonunit52's picture
Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 9:21am.

Cy, I reckon you are referring to the US House of Representatives, oink, oink.

It's not easy being the carbonunit


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 9:28am.

and boy do the spend it.

Anyways, I have this incredibly bad cold that just will not let go. I've been drinking chocolate and Irish Cream. Diva suggested switching the Irish Cream with rum. What do you suggest?
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


Submitted by skyspy on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 4:08pm.

Heat equal parts honey and lemon and mix with generous amounts of single barrel bourbon.

You are making this a lot harder than what it has to be.

Have a good day and happy recovery.

Submitted by boo boo on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 3:21pm.

I'm sorry you have a cold. Spring colds seem to be the worst.
I and my family use this when ever we think we are getting a cold.

4 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar
3 tablespoons of honey or to tastes
a little lemon juice

Put the above in a cup, poor in hot-water. Drink it like a tea. We also chew a couple of Vitamin C. 1,000 milligrams.

The secret is to do all the above when you feel something coming on. It also works great for sore throats.

I am not a Dr. but the above has worked for my family for years. If anyone is allergic to Vinegar or Vit C please do not use this recipe.

Vinegar has been around for years and years. I read where they used it to clean the immigrant ships. I imagine this was the white vinegar.

carbonunit52's picture
Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 9:35am.

would be worth a try. Chocolate is always good, and rum likes everyone.

It's not easy being the carbonunit


yardman5508's picture
Submitted by yardman5508 on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 7:29am.

I know that I am, for sure...can you say "cha-ching"? LOL Keep the faith

Democracy is NOT a spectator sport


carbonunit52's picture
Submitted by carbonunit52 on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 7:55am.

I always enjoy rain, which is made possible by the fact that this unit is watertight. For yardman, the rain brings the green grass which brings in the green "spend it quickly while it is still worth something" money.

It's not easy being the carbonunit


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:48am.

I'm glad you are watertight. Smiling
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


SPQR's picture
Submitted by SPQR on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 9:29am.

1.always turn in front of oncoming traffic because you know they are going to turn because they are signaling.

2. Be righteously indignant when you hit someone when they signaled but failed to turn.

3. be outraged when you are charged with failure to yield the right of way.

4. Be sad when your insurance premiums go up.

5. Be happy when they remove the cast


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 8:53am.

Someone please tell me how the traffic should work in the following situation.

I'm at the Pavilion, coming out of, say, the Best Buy area. I'm at a 4-way stop and want to turn left onto the main thoroughfare and head towards 314.

Directly across from me is a vehicle coming out of the WalMart area. He, too, wants to turn left onto the main thoroughfare to head out towards Hwy 85.

There is a median dividing the thoroughfare.

Got it?

Now, when we pass each other, should it be driver's side to driver's side, or passenger side to passenger side? That is, should I pass him first in the middle (with him to my left) and then make my left (and he his), or should I go for an immediate left, leaving him to my right as he makes his turn?

My instincts (and, I think, driver ed training) tell me to pass passenger-to-passenger sides. But more than once, when I have attempted to do this, people have freaked out, blown their horns, etc. They have expected the other way around.

Who's right?

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


Submitted by Okie on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 4:26pm.

My guess would be you are doing it correctly. That's how I do it. I just read the GA Drivers Manual, and I could not find it in there. If you were at a stoplight with a left turn signal, you don't pass the car coming across that's also turning left, you'd hit the car behind it. So, like the driver's manual said, if the other drivers aren't obeying the right of way, just try to avoid an accident. I had a similar event at Sandy Creek and HWY 54 the other day. I was turning left going towards Fayetteville, and the car across from me I assumed was coming across straight. The light turned and I slowly went forward waiting for the other car to cross, but he was doing the same thing. I was fussing, so I went past him and he turned left! Now, I know that ALL cars are equipped with blinkers, a left and a right. Use them people!!!

mapleleaf's picture
Submitted by mapleleaf on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 2:20pm.

Coming off from a stop sign, driving across a road with a median can be viewed as a two-step process.

In the first step, you cross the part of the road that is a one-way going from your left to your right. Same story for the person who is coming from the opposite direction.

Once you reach the median, where you should be side-by-side driver-to-driver, you initiate your left turn, and so does the other person.

I doubt that the approach you described is right. But then again, anything that works can't be all that wrong.

The main benefit of the approach I describe is that you make sure there is no one coming at you from the left first. After you have crossed the first segment, you check again to make sure no one is coming at you from the right, and you have good visibility for that because the other driver is not blocking your view. Under your approach the other driver would be blocking your view. Then you make your left turn. Your visibility of all critical areas is much better if you pass each other driver-to-driver.

If the other driver happens to be me, you can go ahead and give me a smile. I'll see you and smile back.

Note that this does not apply at an intersection with a four-way stop or a traffic light. Neither driver has to worry about being hit from the right in that situation.


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 4:58pm.

So it sounds as though I should be treating the median area as a sort of "straightaway"--coming straight ahead with the other driver to my left before I turn left, correct? That's just what people have seemed to expect, but it just don't seem right to me.

I can think of some places in Savannah that are like this. Crossing Oglethorpe, for instance, calls for proceeding with the other driver to the left before making the left turn onto Oglethorpe. But it has a wider median and is marked and includes stop signs, etc. out in the middle.

Oh well. Expect a Citizen article: "Idiot Philosopher Causes Major Accident in Pavilion."

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


Submitted by snotrocket on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 3:38am.

To the kind stranger that paid for the meals of me and my partner, THANK YOU SO MUCH ! It is gestures like yours, that make this job worth doing!!!

Voice of Fayette Future's picture
Submitted by Voice of Fayett... on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 7:48pm.

Maybe its remodeling dreams or whatever but it is still a nightmare.


Gene61's picture
Submitted by Gene61 on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 7:31pm.

Welcome to the community.


hutch866's picture
Submitted by hutch866 on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 5:49pm.

I wasn't feeding the troll, I was just poking him a little.

I yam what I yam....Popeye


Submitted by youalldrivemecrazy on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 6:27pm.

To the Starr's Mill parent commenting about watching basketball, do you have any more to add to your message above after having conducted more research? It's interesting that you mentioned the idea that your son, under different conditions of course, might lie to get someone in trouble. I wonder where he might have learned that behavior?

Way to instill ethics in your kid through example. Oh wait, you taught him to exaggerate and stir up trouble instead.

eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 6:09am.

This was one classroom, one substitute teacher . . .wonder if this parent will send in a copy their apology that was later sent to the school, after realizing the mouth had gone off before the brain kicked in. Yes, this certainly did and does stir up a lot of trouble.


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 6:13am.

How about you-uns? Smiling
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 6:26am.

I know, I know, technically it should be y'all! I was just using the first part of youalldrivemecrazy!

How ya doin' and how is that honey-do list coming along?


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 7:37am.

I still say shopping carts rather than "buggies".
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 6:32am.

You know how you kinda miss a toothache, how you wonder where the pain went? Wonder what in the world happened to Mr. Multiple Personalities? Odd that no one or no subject has drawn him out. Hmmmm, wonder if the ole f@rt is OK.


Submitted by jem777 on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 4:30am.

I wont miss a toothache even a single day. It's the worst nightmare i could ever experienced!
chandler dentist

Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 8:12am.

I hope ole dollar et al is OK!! Maybe he's writing his book! Smiling
Jane!!! You said a F word! lol I saw language alert and could not believe it was you! Smiling

Tug Smiling


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 4:50pm.

I'm worried about them.

____________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


hutch866's picture
Submitted by hutch866 on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 4:59pm.

Maybe they just went home for a visit, this sounds like them... From the county where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this
"alledged" true story.
Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Bluefield WV.
After last call, the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so apparently
intoxicated that he could barely walk.

The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the
officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity in which he
tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car
and fall into it.

He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar
and drove off.

Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off--it was a fine,
dry summer night--, flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times,
honked the horn and then switched on the lights.

He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then
remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patrons'
vehicles left.

At last, when his was the only car left in the parking lot, he pulled out
and drove slowly down the road.

The police officer, having waited patiently all this time, now started up
his patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over
and administered a breathalyzer test.

To his amazement, the breathalyzer indicated no evidence that the man had
consumed any alcohol at all!

Dumbfounded, the officer said, "I'll have to ask you to accompany me to
the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken."

"I doubt it," said the truly proud Redneck. "Tonight I'm the designated
decoy

Thanks for the laugh Tug.

I yam what I yam....Popeye


muddle's picture
Submitted by muddle on Sat, 03/28/2009 - 5:17pm.

That's good.

___________________

"Puddleglum" by Weatherwax (one of the Muddlings).

Jeeves to the Rescue


eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 8:23am.

Silly me, sometimes I just get carried away and use a F word.

Hope all is well for you.


Tug13's picture
Submitted by Tug13 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 8:29am.

I've been known to spit out a few myself. Smiling

All is better here, hope all is well with you!

Tug Smiling


Cyclist's picture
Submitted by Cyclist on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 7:36am.

Yep his last post was 3/10. MYTMITE is also MIA.
-------------------------------------------
Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.


hutch866's picture
Submitted by hutch866 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 10:48am.

I saw MYTMITE logged in the other day, didn't post but was logged in.

I yam what I yam....Popeye


eodnnaenaj1's picture
Submitted by eodnnaenaj1 on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 8:21am.

ask if "they" are OK? Let them know that we really do think of them.

And Mytmite too.


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