Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

The season that is almost a rite of passage for nearly every young boy in the country is here.  Well okay, at least those involved in Cub Scouting.  It is time for the Pinewood Derby!

The Pinewood Derby was started by Don Murphy in 1953.  He had a son that was too young to race in the Soap Box derby.  Mr. Murphy wanted a father-son project that would allow his son to be safe but still enjoy a Soap Box derby style event.  Thus, the Pinewood Derby was created!

When I was growing up, I looked forward to the Pinewood Derby every year.  I won third place in design one year, but I never came close to finishing in the top three with speed.  That honor always belonged to my friend Jeff.  His father was an architect, and those cars would fly.  I did all that I could to try to find the secret behind Jeff’s fast cars.  Beating Jeff’s car became a goal in life.  Jeff and I are still friends, and to this day, I still do not know how he did it.

I have been making cars with my sons for about eight years now.  All of the cars start off as the same plain block of wood, four nails for axles, and four plastic wheels.  It is amazing what these guys can create when they are allowed to let their imaginations run free.  One year our youngest wanted a purple brain with an eyeball on a stick for a car.  We planned it out and created it!

There are those parent-son teams that are focused purely on speed.  I will have to admit that trophies are nice.  There are all kinds of speed secrets, special wheels, weights, and axles that you can purchase from the Internet.  In fact, you could spend a small fortune on a Pinewood Derby car just to win a trophy that likely cost less than the car.

I have really enjoyed the interaction with my sons in building our cars.  It is nice to win a race, but the Cub Scout motto is “Do Your Best.”  I hope that the memories that we have made through the years building the cars will be with my two sons forever.

As for my friend Jeff, his father is now a grandfather.  It was Pinewood Derby time once again so I was curious to see if the old man still had what it takes to build a winning car with all of today’s advances in materials, theories, etc.  Jeff said that when they put the car on the track and flipped the starting gate, the car didn’t move.  It seems that his father glued the wheels by accident when trying to glue in the axles.  I wish I had raced him that day.  Such is life on the Pinewood Derby track.

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

It seems that Hollywood, especially reality TV shows, cannot get enough of all things southern!  Sons of Guns, Call Of The Wild Man, Swamp People, Bayou Billionaires, My Big Fat Redneck Vacation, Moonshiners, are all shows about us unique southern people.  Some of those shows are less than flattering towards us, but we have captured the interests of television producers none the less.

One of the things that make the south so unique is our way of talking.  The southern accent sets us apart from the rest of the nation.  I recently read a news article that said the new Apple’s Siri, which responds to voice commands, cannot figure out the southern accent.  Siri allows a person to operate their iPhone using his or her voice.  (Honestly, sometimes I think that technology is becoming a bit too spooky, but that is for another article.)  Siri does not speak Southernese, and yet they call it a smart phone?  Hmm… Apple uses a song from Albany’s own Ray Charles in their official commercial for Siri, but it is unlikely that Siri would be able to understand Ray’s voice.  Ain’t that the berries?

There are various expressions that used to be part of everyday speech here in the south.  With so many outside influences on the southern culture today such as television, much of that is fading away. Hold on to your hats now y’all because I’m fixin’ to tell you some!

I did some work with an older gentleman during the summer last year who would instruct me to “…grab that board over yonder and slide it in my direction just a scosher tad.”  Now, every self respecting Southerner knows the difference between a scosh, a scosher tad, a smidgen, and just a tad.  For our northern neighbors, a tad is a small, almost insignificant amount, a smidgen is less than that, a scosher tad is really quite small, and a scosh is the smallest of all.

One day I asked when we were going to tackle a project around the house, and the old man said that we would get on it directly.  That of course meant that we would work on it when we got around to it, but it would likely be sooner rather than later.  He has some health issues and on an average day when I asked him how he was doing, he will tell me that he was fair to middling.  I knew then that things are not great, but they could be worse.

I reckon some of y’all ain’t heard these ol’ sayings in a coon’s age.  That is rather sad too.  I ‘spect that it won’t be long before they are all gone with the wind.  Our speech and our colloquialisms are a rich heritage.  It is such a blessing to be born in the Southland

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

Have you noticed a drop in testosterone levels?  No, this is not that commercial to fight against, “Low T” but rather an observation that traditional manhood is under assault.  Watch any commercial with a couple, and the idiot is always the male.  Why is that?  I am not saying that the idiot should be the woman, but why can’t they both be equally intelligent?

Some have even observed how the great decline in masculinity parallels with the recent decline in our very liberties.  Perhaps that is because it is now socially unacceptable for a man to speak his mind in what may be perceived as a confrontational manner.  Men today are simply taught that it is better to get along and to be politically correct than to stand with conviction against things in our society that are wrong, unjust, or immoral.

Democratic Presidential Candidate, John Edwards, once declared himself a metrosexual.  That was before he got caught in an affair.  A metrosexual, by the way, is a guy “…with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis because that’s where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are.”  That boy did more primping and curling than Dolly Parton!

But it is not just John Edwards who has developed a lack of testosterone.  It is so fashionable to be feminized these days that some male oriented magazines offer lessons in what men ought to know such as how to clean a gun or bait a hook.  There is even a rise in what people are calling “Man Camps” where guys can go to learn how to become…well…a man.

Is there no room for yesterday’s heroes like John Wayne or Clint Eastwood in today’s society?  Do women these days prefer a softer more emotional man by their sides?  I suspect that the answer to both questions is a resounding “no.”  After all, if the answer were yes, there would be no need for “Man Camps.”

Where have we gone wrong, and what can be done about this trend in our society?  Dare I say that it is time to man-up guys!  You don’t have to discover your inner caveman, but it would be nice to take responsibility, speak your mind, and grow a backbone.  We need positive male role models; and if you are a father, you need to become a dad to your children.  Once you develop that relationship, take your kids—especially your sons—fishing, camping, and hunting.  They should not have to flip through the pages of Maxim or GQ to learn these things!

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

Facebook is a great thing, isn’t it?  I can find old friends, find out details about people that I am about to meet, and keep track of the happenings in the lives of those that I care about using Facebook.  It is a handy tool, but it can also be a tool that wrecks relationships and destroys marriages too.

A study was done by Divorce-Online which looked at 5,000 cases of divorce in the United Kingdom.  One third of those cases listed Facebook as evidence in the divorce.  The top three reasons as cited by the study were inappropriate messages to members of the opposite sex, spouses that were separated making ugly comments about each other, and friends of the spouse reporting their misbehavior.

Sometimes these online relationships start off as an innocent curiosity about an old flame.  It is easy to type in a name and do a quick search.   A friend request, an innocent “hi,” and the ball starts rolling.  It does not take long before you remember only the good times with your reacquainted  friend and then you reflect on the direction of your current life.  After all, nobody fills their profile with all of their faults and flaws.  That is where the danger begins.   I have heard it said that it is not the first look that gets you into trouble.  It is the second.  If you are going to rekindle an old flame anyway, why not remember all of the reasons why you got married and reignite the sparks with your spouse?

Some friends of mine got together after Christmas, and this subject came up.  One friend does not have a Facebook account so that he can avoid suspicions from his wife.  Another said that he and his wife know each other’s passwords to help eliminate any suspicion.   I know of three families that were recently thrown into turmoil following an emotional affair that was started on Facebook.  One closed their accounts to save the marriage, one is still struggling with the problem, and the other ended in divorce.  An emotional affair can be just as destructive as a physical one.

A lot of energy is robbed from the relationship when one or both partners would rather spend time texting, Tweeting, and Facebooking than communicating with the person they care about.  I see status updates all of the time that read, “I am on a date with my wife” or “Spending quality time with my children.”  That is great, but put the electronic devices down and actually spend time with your family and loved ones.  Tell the world about it later, if you think we really need to know.  Enjoy the moment.

There is a new trend that I have also noticed online.  People are choosing to go on a “Facebook Fast.”  As we become more and more dependent on living virtual lives, I can think of nothing healthier.  I intend to do that this year.

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

I will be turning 42 within the week.  Not long ago, I thought 42 was old.  That is not so true anymore.  I once heard that old age is ten years older than you are.  If that is the case, none of us ever achieve “old age” since it is a moving target.

There are a few observations that I have made now that I am on top of the hill.  The first is that life moves fast, and it seems to move even faster the older I get.  I have a theory that the world spins faster and faster until we are eventually flung off.  The expression, “slower than Christmas” means a lot less now than it did twenty years ago.  Make the most of every day because you never know when it is your time to get flung off!

Another observation is that opinions are like elbows. (What?  That is the expression, isn’t it?)  I recently thought that my opinion and about two bucks would buy a sweet tea for you in most of the restaurants in Albany.  That is why I had recently taken a break with these articles.  However, I was surprised when I ran into a reader at the Doubegate EZ Mart who asked why I have not written for a while, and his kind words are why I am writing again.  You just never know who is watching you.

As I look back on my younger days, I think about all of the crazy dreams that I once had.  My dreams were all over the place.  I was going to be an actor—Hey I made it into a few big movies as an extra!  I was going to be a writer, and you are reading my work.  The biggest obstacles to achieving those crazy dreams are in ourselves.  It seems like it is easier to dream big when you are young, but it is never too late to reinvent yourself.

The cake seems to get sweeter as the candles grow greater.  I just hope the smoke alarms don’t go off when I blow out all of those candles!

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

Written by Bill Waller

A cyclist from Chicago, Illinois has set out to ride his bicycle in the 48 continuous states with the mission to help raise money to build a water well for a town in Cameroon, Africa.  Jose Merlos started his trek in Seattle, Washington nearly six months ago, and he made a stop on Albany on December 7, 2011.  Merlos has traveled roughly 6,800 miles, and he has been in 28 states.

When asked about the most important tool that he carries, Merlos said it is his Bible.  “It has opened many doors for me.  All I have to do is to go through them.”

Jose Merlos has not always lived such an unusual life.  He describes his life a year ago as being typical.  “I had an apartment, a Yukon, and I managed a Piggly Wiggly grocery store.  One day the truck broke down.  I bought a bicycle to commute to work and discovered that I really enjoyed riding the bike.”  Nearly a year ago, an old friend found Jose Merlos on Facebook and invited him to church.  “It sounded like the sermon was being preached directly to me,” Merlos said.  He returned the following week and had the same experience.  “I picked up the Bible and it changed my life.”

In an effort to combine his love for cycling and his love for God, Jose Merlos decided to turn a 48 state odyssey into a mission trip to help provide good drinking water for the people of Cameroon.  His goal is to raise $15,000 for the project.  So far he has raised about $1000 so his work is cut out for him.  People can follow him and donate funds through his web site, www.josemerlos.wordpress.com  Merlos says that he sold most of his possessions to fund the trip.  He carries what little he owns now on his bicycle.

When he was back home, his family and friends warned him about being in the “Deep South.”  They made references to the movie Deliverance, but his experience was far from the stereotypical expectations.  During his stay in Albany, he went to Pearly’s to try grits for the first time.  The staff of the restaurant saw him on the news the night before and reimbursed him for his meal.  Jose Merlos also tried another southern specialty for the first time, boiled peanuts from Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia.   Before leaving, Jose Merlos said, “Albany has been good to me.”  He said that he wouldn’t mind living in the Good Life City.

On Friday morning, it was time to start turning the pedals again.  Jose Merlos got on his bicycle loaded down with all of his gear and headed north on highway 19 with the goal to be in Griffin, Georgia that night.

Jose Merlos is traveling through all of the lower 48 states in an effort to raise money for charity.  Last week, he was in Albany.

]]> http://thealbanyjournal.com/2011/12/cross-country-cyclist-visits-albany/feed/ 0 http://thealbanyjournal.com/2011/12/the-real-christmas/ http://thealbanyjournal.com/2011/12/the-real-christmas/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:20:15 +0000 khogencamp http://thealbanyjournal.com/?p=15484

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

Christmas is upon us. It seems to creep up about this time every year, doesn’t it? A friend of mine says that he often feels that he misses the mark every year. The father of two teenage boys, he wonders if the magic that he experienced is still there for his sons. I told him that I can relate. My oldest says he is imitating me when he says, “You don’t like it, do you? Did you want a different color? I can take it back. Just let me know.”

The truth is that he has never complained about color, design, or style. He is happy to get the gift. I think that we parents can get so caught up in the commercialism of Christmas that we miss the point. We don’t want to let our children down.

My mother says that when she was a little girl, she would often get one or two gifts for Christmas and she would play with them all day. Things have gotten more complicated. I accompanied mom last week on her quest to shop for the grandkids. It is even more complicated when you have not been given a list. Everything becomes a blur of plastic made in China with the only difference being the color and shape of the plastic. It didn’t take long before I was just a discouraged as grandma.

The economy has gotten even tougher than last year. Many are without a job, and inflation has hit in a noticeable way. There is no doubt that more than just my friend and myself feel that we have fallen short of the expectations of the season.

Has Christmas melted away like last year’s snow? No. Buried under the wreathes, pretty lights, packages, and bows is the real meaning. It is still there. It has always been. You can see it in the eyes of the young and in the smiles of old that still experience the magic. More often than not, spending time is so much more appreciated than spending money.

For me, the time when it all comes together each year is during the Christmas Eve candlelight service at First United Methodist Church of Albany. There are no wrapped packages or stockings. Instead, the focus is on the gift of a baby to a world of darkness. I am sure that other area churches offer a similar service. If you are jaded with the commercialism of Christmas and feel like you have fallen short of the mark, perhaps a Christmas Eve service is the perfect gift for yourself. Merry Christmas!

We are all saddened by the recent shooting incident in Tucson, Ariz., that targeted U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The assailant, Jared Lee Loughner, killed six people that day, including federal judge John Roll.

The popular media has speculated the reasons why this happened, but few have looked into the person behind the incident. The words of former White House Chief of Staff, Rham Emanuel, “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” come to mind. This senseless act of violence has been blamed on the likes of Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and the Tea Party crowd. There have been calls to go back to the Fairness Doctrine to silence, or at least neuter, talk radio. Things were so much better during the days of the Fairness Doctrine, weren’t they? The assassinations of JFK, Bobby Kennedy, George Wallace, and Martin Luther King all happened in our country when the Fairness Doctrine was in effect.

So, was Loughner a right-winged fan of Beck and Limbaugh? Did he march on Washington with the Tea Party? The media would have you believe it, and so would Congressman Sanford Bishop. On Jan. 11, 2011, the Moultrie Observer ran an article called, “Bishop: Shooting’s a sign that bitterness must ease.” The first paragraph in the article says, “The motive of the shooter who killed six in Arizona is unknown, but the tragedy should serve as an occasion to lower the bitter political discourse in the country, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop said.” If Bishop himself does not know the motive, why politicize this horrific event to use it as an excuse to soften debate?

The more we look into the shooter, the more we find signs that he was disturbed. His favorite books, according to his MySpace page, included The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf. He believed that the United States was responsible for the Sept.11 attacks, NASA had faked the moon landing, and the government was using mind control to brainwash people by controlling grammar.

Records show that he had targeted Rep. Giffords before in a letter. Law enforcement officers knew of a letter where he wrote, “Die bitch,” to the congresswoman. Congressman Sanford Bishop says that Giffords is a member of the Blue Dog Democrats. It appears that she was too conservative for Loughner, who said she was “fake.” In 2007 he asked the congresswoman, “What is government if words have no meaning?” One does not have to look far to see that current political discourse had little to do with this disturbed individual.

Our hearts go out to the six people that were killed and the 14 others that were wounded by this man, but this is not the incident that calls for a renewed Fairness Doctrine, censorship, and new gun laws. Political discourse is as American as apple pie and is old as the country itself. Debate was not behind the gun that day.

Our prayers will be for the victims, the families, and for justice. We also pray that those across the political isle do not try to take advantage of this tragedy to further their own political agenda.

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

Christmas does not seem the same this year as in every other year past.  Does it feel that way to you too?

It all started this year when we made our annual drive up to get a blue spruce Christmas tree from the state farmer’s market in Jonesboro. There are two usual blue spruce dealers, but this year neither made the drive from Michigan. We were forced to get another tree.

In Atlanta, there is a radio station that has been playing Christmas music since Thanksgiving. I have not been able to find such a station here in Albany. There has been one in the past, but where is it now?

What happened to the egg nog at Wal-Mart? It is practically nonexistent. I even Googled it to see if Michelle Obama’s crusade against obesity killed the egg nog market. I didn’t find that story.

Christmas lights on my street are not as prevalent as in years past, either. What gives?

Much of this is probably a result of the economy. While I find that many of the trappings of Christmas are missing, I also find that this is a prime opportunity to escape what Christmas has become and to remember the true meaning. After all, there was not a blue spruce, Jingle Bell Rock, egg nog, or strings of twinkling lights that night at the manger. We stand in long check-out lines holding gifts that we feel obligated to buy for people that will probably return them anyway. When did this become Christmas?

This year things are toned down a bit. What a great time to put a little extra money in the Salvation Army kettle, volunteer for a shelter, or simply show kindness to a stranger. Spend time with your family, and focus this year on things that truly matter. Remember the baby in the manger who came to earth to give us the greatest gift of all, love.

Merry Christmas.

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.

May I ask you to loan me some money? You see, I have a business idea and I need $374,000. I know, that is a lot of money, but I’m good for it. A business plan you ask? Sure I have one.

You see, there is a swell piece of property that I am going purchase for $95,000. Oh, and did I mention that I am going to build homes for the HUD program there. Certainly you want to help the poor, don’t you? Then I’ll drag my feet until you agree to just take the land from me and forgive my debt. Oops, I’ve said too much, haven’t I? You would not fall for a scheme like that would you? If you live in Albany, Georgia, you fell for just that plan.

By now you know that I am talking about Cutliff Grove. The Albany City Commission met to decide how to settle the issue. The vote was 6 to 1 for the city to take the land and let a quarter of a million tax payer dollars go out the window. (The one dissenting vote was from Roger Marietta.) It is much easier to just squander that money, because it does not belong to the six that voted in favor of this deal. That money belongs to YOU! If that creates a little shortfall in the budget, the city can nudge up your taxes just enough to cover it. It is far easier to toss the dice and lose money that isn’t directly tied to their wallets.

After doing more research into this story, it seems that there was corruption behind the scenes. However, if you just take the story on the bare facts alone you should be outraged.

I first met Mayor Willie Adams just before our first Tea Party in Albany during April of last year. I had personally invited him to our gathering which was at the courthouse.  Mayor Adams laughed it off and said, “You all drink your tea and try to figure out how to lower taxes. I’d like to pay less taxes myself.” I remember those words because it was a slap in the face. I was giving a politician a chance to hear from his constituents. Instead, he met me with ridicule.

So, Mayor Adams I have found a way to help lower the taxes. STOP WASTING THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS! That is just a first step, but it was an easy observation.

We at Southwest Georgia Patriots are for less government and lower taxes. We advocate these principles at the local and national levels. As citizens, we have elected these city commissioners to represent us in city government. Did they represent you when they decided to drop the debt of nearly $279,000? They think that they are doing the will of the people unless they hear otherwise from you. That’s right, YOU!

There are certain responsibilities that you must do as a citizen. It is important that you research candidates before casting a ballot. It is important that you exercise your right to vote. You must watch politicians when they are in office, and you must have your voice be heard when you don’t agree with their representation of you. Edmund Burke once said that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

What can you do?  You can be at the next City Commission meeting for starters.  If you are really angry, you can approach the board.  Just having enough bodies to fill up the room will make an impression though so bring your neighbors. They lost out in this deal, too.

Will you be there? If not, I’d really like to see you about that loan. No, seriously I would. I’ll have my business plan ready.

Written by Bill Waller. Mr. Waller is a author and contributor local blog, Southwest Georgia Politics. He enjoys writing, traveling, and researching history. He currently resides in Albany, Georgia.