Corporate America

Last night I decided that today's post would be about corporate America. That is sort of a dirty word, because it brings up images of Exxon, (earlier) Healthsouth, Enron, you know, big ugly corporations, that do big, ugly things that get lots of news.

But what about the friendly corporations that just hurt one person at a time (or hundreds, as in the case of United Airlines. See I am still a little steamy about United, because they promised us vouchers when we suffered through a cancelled flight, a bump from a flight, and a denial of boarding (till they saw the steam coming out of my ears). But the vouchers have yet to arrive. They will be expired before I ever get them.

Then there is Bright House. You know, the cable TV company. I'm sure we can all complain about cable tv, like the paying for HBO In Demand and then having to watch John Adams Part 4 all pixelated and skipping. How nice. Or the Music Choice channels that skip....and skip....and sometimes just quit playing. But try this on.

Go to channel 100 to pay your bill. Go through all the steps, using their (hopefully) secure credit card system, and get a message on the screen that they were unable to accept my payment at this time, try again later. OK. So try again later, go through the same steps. Same message. OK, I will just pay the old fashoined way tomorrow. Well "tomorrow" was yesterday, so I thought, well I will just try the TV service again. So when I "log on" and get to the page that shows my balance, its negative because they actually accepted the two payments I made. What kind of system is that, in this age of technology and this company that wants me to use their phone service and internet cervice and cell service and garbage service and sewer service...well actually the last two I just threw in there, but really they might do better on the sewer than what we got now.

But the corporation that brought all this on is Best Buy. Why do I never learn. They are the same Geeks (Squad) that erased all my documents and pictures from a laptop I took in for repair a few years ago, so why I thought I should buy a new one from them I don't know. Well I do, I guess. Blue is a much better color than red (the Circuit City color). That could be an Auburn thing, I guess, but anyway, I went to them to get a new laptop.

OK, making a long chapter of a story short, it was not ready when promised. That irked me a bit, since I made a special trip over there to pick it up, but a gift card from the manager helped. But today...when I return to get it after waiting 30 minutes...no one can find it!!!

Seriously, it is gone. So am I still without a computer, without a big chunk of cash, and steaming.

But they tell me I will have a (new and different...same model I mean) laptop tonight. And they better hand me another gift card too.


What is your favorite corporate America story?

Starting tomorrow I begin (really I started last month) in earnest a "new phase." I will be doing an internship at the Department of Agriculture in Montgomery in Ag Security. To learn more about what that means, read my column next week in the Western tribune, or stay tuned on here.

Bessemer Police Business and David Cook!

So here is what we learned at the Bessemer Neighborhood Association meeting Monday night.

Sgt. Carmicheal from the Community Service Division of the Bessemer Police Department spoke and addressed concerns of those present.

For speeding and recklessness. Sgt. Brooks is over the traffic division, and he said to call him on his cell phone when you see speeding. 205-229-2793. Tell him the location, the make of the car and the tag number if you can get it without endangering yourself. In addition, if they get enough complaints about an area they will do traffic stops or DUI checks which often drive motorists to take different routes.

As for the noise ordinance, which covers not only stereos but screaming motorcycles as well, the ordinance is in force. Decible meters are being acquired (yawn...I've heard this for months, years). To report these, call dispatch at 205-425-2411. (Don't call 911 for noise). Be specific in your report, whether the noise is coming from a house, or a car, describe the car and get the tag, without the person knowing it if possible.

If you don't feel that your call is getting a response (like if you don't see a cop within a few minutes) call again, and ask for the officer over that shift. During the day, Sgt. J. J. Pierson, during the evening, from 2:45 to 10:45, Sgt. Fred Littlepage, and during the night shift, from 10:45 to 6:45 AM, Sgt. Ray Hubbart. Sorry officers if I misspelled you name.

Everyone realizes that a speeding car or a rocking car will be long gone before an officer gets there. But the police might "hunt them down", or keep a watch out for the car that is described. And again, enough compaints from an area will lead to roadblocks...an inconvenience, no doubt, but worth it to slow down traffic. Just be sure you have your insurance card and license with you.

We should also realize that the cops can't be everywhere and see everything. So they depend on us to call these things in.

But they should realize that we depend on them as well, like to arrest people who have stolen cars being dis-assembled in their backyards. If they won't arrest that individual, do we really thnk they are going to give a hoot about Nas (otherwise known as Nasir Jones) blaring Ether out of a car:

"Ay, yo, pass me the weed,
Pour my ashes out on these niggas man,
(No doubt)
Ay, y'all faggots, y'all kneel,
And kiss the f***king ring"

It gets worse. But that gives you an idea.

That is the kind of noise we hear as the windows are rattling. It is offensive to people of color, to gay people, to decent people who do not appreciate profanity and slurs being thrust into our dens such that we can not even hear the sweet sounds of American Idle, I mean Idol. And if I really watched and cared and voted, David Cook would get my vote. Randy, Paula and Simon seemed to like him as well.



The Bessemer Police Department holds public safety meetings the first Monday of every month at a different location. These meetings are open to the public and the public is encouraged to attend. Heads of divisions are there to answer questions. Crime statistics are given out, with comparisons to previous months. Notification of these meetings has been a problem, sometimes they use flyers, sometimes they are announced in the local papers. The BPD is trying to determine the best way to let people know about the locations. I will try to become aware of these and post them as well.

Stolen Car Recovered...and Flowers

My neighbor found his car. Nothing is easy, nothing makes sense.

The car was here .

3300 block of Arlington Avenue, where it dead ends. With 10 - 15 other cars around in the backyard. Cars had been stripped of engines and transmissions and the like. He called the police, they came, arrested no one. The homeowner, his wife and son were there, claimed they had no idea how the car got there, in their backyard, with all those other stripped cars.

Word is that this guy used to work at Gary's Tires in Bessemer, was fired for stealing $30,000 worth of tires.

Friend told the cops he didn't want the car towed, he would go home and get a key and drive it home. By the time he got back (it's just a mile away) they had towed the car, against the wishes of the owner, and charged him $140.

My friend wrote this:

The homeowner claims he works on cars at his house for extra money. The officer on scene scolded him for that and also scolded some guys who were burning trash in a barrel behind the house! MY STOLEN CAR WAS ON THIS GUYS PREOPERTY AND THEY DID NOTHING! MY AIR CLEANER HOUSING WAS LYING ON THE GROUND NEXT TO THE CAR, BUT HE HAD NOT TOUCHED IT!!!

It's funny, his son has a car just like mine with the big wheels and such on it!

I feel they should have been arrested for recieving stolen property or something!

The city needs to check the Vin numbers on every car at that house..............I'll bet they are all stolen

Sounds like a good idea to me? The rest of you who have told me their car was stolen might want to go down there, in daylight, with company, and check things out.



At the Bessemer neighborhood Association Meeting last night Sergeant Carmichael of the Bessemer PD spoke about public safety, crime, all the issues of Dartmouth Avenue and more. I will write about that meeting tomorrow, if time allows.



For today, I am just glad Drew got his car back (even damaged) and I hope that the perps get tagged.



And I am glad the temperature didn't freeze the peaches or flowers or tomato plants.





This is another Columbine in the backyard, these just come up and I try to move them around and get a bunch of them growing together.



This antique rose is Zephirine Drouhin, with a wonderful fragrance and no thorns.




Fiery blooms of this native azalea look hot, out of place on this cold morning.

Bessemer Crime

I know that crime happens everywhere. I have a friend who lives in one of the communities of North Shelby county whose home was broken in to, and there have been cars stolen or broken in to at the malls of Hoover. But when crime occurs in your own neighborhood it is more than just a statistic.

My neighbor that was almost hit by the speeding vehicle on the wrong side of the road the other day now has had his car stolen from right in front of his house between 1 and 3 Saturday morning.

The car is a cream colored 1984 Olsmobile Delta 88, 4dr with VIN# 1G3AN69YXEX387804 and tag # AS64421. It was last seen, by a witness that night, turning left into one of the housing projects on Dartmouth Avenue.

He left a comment on Disregard of the Law in Bessemer but I am reprinting it here.


I live on Dartmouth and think this is a major issue! My car was stolen Saturday Morning, the window was broken out of our truck and radio stolen less than a month ago and I am the guy who was almost hit by the car! I also think it would be a good idea to install speed breakers evey 500 feet on the Avenues. The streets all have stop signs where they intersect the Avenues, therefore speeding is not really an issue except maybe on 19th street. If you slow these people down they will find a faster way to get where they are going. It will also impeed the big truck traffic! Hopefully they will find the faster way is by following the railroad tracks through the brickyard intersection and then down Carolina Ave to Hwy 150! Decreasing traffic also decreases crime.................IMO!

Speed, noise, litter, theft is becoming a way of life on Dartmouth Avenue. It's hard to be a community promoter who tries to convince people to move into historic Bessemer to help our city recover, when all around us the thugs and hoodlums are contolling the streets.

We were told last week that police patrols would increase. I worked outside almost all day Friday and most of Saturday, and did not see one police car. Are they afraid to come into the area or what? Maybe we will get some answers tonight at the Bessemer Neighborhood Association meeting (7 PM at New Grace Covenant Assembly of God, 830 Briarwood Drive, Bessemer, Al 35020). See you there.

Disregard of the Law in Bessemer, and The Out 50

At the risk of being accused of trying to make everything gay on this blog and in Bessemer (not that it would be a bad thing) by a certain news editor, I offer the following.

Out Magazine has named their 50 most influential Gay Men and Women in America. Guess who is number 1? Barney Frank, the highest ranking elected official (Representative from Mass)? Nope. It's Ellen DeGeneres. Well, she is certainly a fave around here. And while Barney might have some power in congress, he has to fight against a president that vetoes anything substantially progressive, while Ellen reaches millions every day. Barney is number 2.

Strange but true, number three is Anderson Cooper. He was number 2 last year...and he won't even acknowledge he's gay. Nothing wrong with that, but to consistently be ranked so high, you might think there would be a denial if he wasn't. "America's boyfriend," that's what they called him recently when he had the skin cancer removed. As such, and remaining neutral, he can be seen as the "boyfriend" of all of America, male and female. Uh, huh.

Others you may not expect. Jodie Foster, at number 13, is another entertainer who is not comfortably out. That's OK, because everybody...I mean everybody, knows.

Nate Berkus, of Oprah fame, at number 21. Suze Orman number 24. See the rest of the list right here.

In Bessemer, especially on the Southside, there has been an increase in disregard for the law. Speeders, running stop signs, especially along Dartmouth Raceway...uh, Avenue. One neighbor almost had his kids and himself killed yesterday by someone flying down the wrong side of the street.

In addition, stereos are blaring as if there has never been mention of a noise ordinance. And smoking has occured at The Stadium Grill on occasion since the ordinance against smoking passed.

So what is the deal. We are supposed to get increased police patrols but what they really need to do is hide on 19th street and 16th or 17th street and watch. Maybe someone from the police department will be at the upcoming Bessemer Neighborhood Association meeting, which is Monday night (7:00) at New Grace Covenant Assembly of God Church on Briarwood Drive in Bessemer. They could address all of these issues.

And speaking of Dartmouth Avenue, I posed this question last year, and here it is again.

Why can’t the city designate a “truck route” coming from Lipscomb on Dartmouth Avenue, at Carolina Terrace, to Carolina Avenue, all the way to 14th Street or Highway 150?

On this map, where the star is, is the intersection of Carolina Terrace and Dartmouth. (Don’t follow the “brown” line…that was on there when I copied the map. Coming from the Libscomb direction, turn right at the star, continue on to Carolina Avenue, turn left, and go about 4 or 5 blocks to 14th Street (Highway 150).





Doing this would keep those noisy and dangerous trucks off of the residential street Dartmouth Avenue, and send them down the mainly commercial street Carolina. Bus routes would not have to change, and of course emergency vehicles and fire trucks would still use Dartmouth. Earl, are you listening? This is your street. And it is OK to inconvenience truck drivers just a little to increase the quality of life of residents.

Early in the morning, before the buses start running, big trucks come rumbling down Dartmouth. Some day I am going to get out there to identify them, but it's not like you have a lot of time. I mean it's not as if they stop for the red light or anything.

Who lives on Dartmouth? Who thinks this would be a good idea. In my spare time, I might circulate a petition along the street for this.

Protests in San Fran

I am 100% behind the protests being waged as the Olympic torch travels around the world. Here is video of the Golden Gate Bridge incident. I do have questions like..how did these guys get around the security and all to do this. This report says it took them 45 minutes to unfurl the banners.

Tibet is only one of the many reasons to protest against China. Let's see, human trafficking, lead paint on toys, dangerous chemicals in prescription meds and toothpaste, exploitation of workforce, baby killing, Tiananmen Square.

I walked across the GG Bridge once, and I felt a little nervous just looking over the edge. I can't imagine climbing and doing this. I get nervous on a ladder hanging Christmas lights.

About 80 people will carry the torch while it is in San Fran, and one is HIV positive gay Navy Veteran John Caldera. Here is a report.

In this report, the news reporter actually talks by cell phone to one of the protesters, Laurel Sutherlin, as Laurel hangs on the bridge with a flag. No hands, as one is holding the phone and the other is waving to the camera at the request of the reporter to confirm that is who she is talking with.





Now I don't really support boycotting the Olympics. Let the event proceed, but hold protests every day is what I say.



I promised flower pictures so here they are. Sorry it has taken so long. I no longer have use of my laptop, so blogging is not as convenient, nor is editing pictures, but soon I will get a new laptop (notebook I guess is the preferred term these days).



Dogwoods have been in bloom for the last two weeks, but still hanging in there, in spite of all the stormy weather.

Wisteria Lane...not quite, but close.


Irises are continuing to open, different varieties open at different times.

Don Siegelman on 60 Minutes

Scott Pelley interviewed Don Siegelman two days after his release from prison.

Here Scott Pelley answers questions about the story. Unfortunately, you have to listen to a Sprint advertisement first. Siegelman was still in prison when this took place. These videos from CBS embed sort of strange, hope they work.




From Sunday, April 6, 60 Minutes Show, here Siegelman affirms that he did not make a deal with Scrushy.




Here Elmer Harris confrims that there was not bribe (where was he when we needed him?)



Here Siegelman discusses the future. Politics is not in his future, Karl Rove...mission accomplished.



I can only hope that Karl Rove and several others involved in this are obliged to enjoy prison in a worse way than Don Siegelman did.