Newspaper Page Text
4A
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2006
Muustim Pailg .Tjmmtal
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Please Ted, shut up
Would someone please tell Ted Turner
to shut up?
Or, would the National Press Club
stop inviting him to their parties as a guest
speaker, or as a minimum, please stop
reporting every word that comes out of his
mouth?
Turner, the founder of CNN, was report
edly in objection to displays of the American
flag by journalists - saying they should have
a more neutral posture.
He also reportedly said this Monday in
regard to the events of Sept. 11: “Our presi
dent said it very clearly. He said ‘either you’re
with us, or you’re against us.’ And I had a
problem with
that because
I really hadn’t
made my mind
up yet.”
Did Jane
Fonda wear off
on him? Has
his failed pre
diction of 1981
that newspa
pers would be
a thing of the
past by 2001
worn on him? (Note: He was smart enough
to update it recently to “when I die.”)
Is he still pouting over his lack of mana
gerial success (0-1 for the former owner of
the Braves who once thought he could man
age them, too)? (Yes, he kept the Braves in
Atlanta but tell us again why they named
Turner Field after a man who has contin
ued to embarrass since?)
He’s a great, great man. He has done some
great things. Ah yes, but every time he
opens his mouth ...
You know, you can hate George W. Bush.
You can hate Republicans. You can hate
every policy that has come or will come
from the current administration. You can
debate everything that has happened to our
nation - all the ways we have changed both
good and bad - since and to come.
But, as to what Bush said at that moment
in time, on the events of that dark day in
history. We think it was the perfect choice
of words.
Utters to the Editor
Marshall best for the job
I have been trying to determine why Mac Collins would
allow his good name to be associated with the false
and intentionally deceptive ads provided by out-of-state
republican smear campaigns.
Then I wondered why he would ask the president
to attend a photo-selling event far too expensive for
the vast majority of district voters to attend when
most republicans seeking office are keeping their dis
tance because of his historically low approval ratings.
In my research, I found a good, non-partisan source of
candidate information, Project Vote Smart (http://www.
vote-smart.org/program_about_pvs.php). I compared the
bios of Representative Jim Marshall and Mac Collins.
I noted that Marshall had a bachelor degree from
Princeton University and a graduate law degree from
Boston University, two of the finest schools in the coun
try.
His work experience is listed as law professor, Mercer
University, 1979, sergeant, United States Army, Vietnam,
1968-1970, business lawyer, high school teacher,
owner of a logging business in Idaho and mechanic.
Collins bio on this site states that he attended
Jackson High School. His professional experience
is listed as founder, Collins Trucking Company, Inc.,
Georgia National Guard, E-4, 1964-1970, businessman.
Without a doubt, regardless of political party, Marshall
has the qualifications, honesty and integrity to best rep
resent his district in Congress.
Since the republicans will most likely lose their present
majority, Marshall is well qualified to assume leadership
assignments and get positive recognition for Central
Georgia.
Bob Bemis, Perry
Talton easier man to beat
This is in reply to my letter of Sept. 20 where I inad
vertedly stated that Willie Talton is Democratic candidate
Scott Taylor ‘s opponent on Nov. 7! Since I was using a PC
at a local library with a 60-minute time restriction when
I hastily composed my letter I made an honest mistake.
This was not intentional but perhaps a Freudian slip!
It’s my belief that Talton’s district is more likely
Democratic than Larry O.Neal’s and that Talton would
See LETTERS, page 6A
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Turner, the
founder of CNN, was
reportedly in
rejection to displays
of the American
flag by journalists -
saying they should have
a more neutral posture.
Hilton Head a place of beauty
Hilton head, s.c. - it took
a lot of forethought, planning
and firm enforcement to main
tain so much of the natural beauty of
this place.
You are impressed the moment you
drive onto Hilton Head Island with the
fact there are not ugly, glaring signs
on the streets. Businesses are allowed
small, inconspicuous signs and the
businesses themselves are hidden from
the streets with trees and shrubbery.
The first time I came to this island
I had no idea that there were so many
homes, condos and businesses. They
were so well camouflaged.
The natural beauty is what you see,
but it did not “just happen.”
Actually, the company which devel
oped Sea Pines, the gated community at
the southern end of the island, bought
a lot of land outside their community.
They had the foresight to make sure
there were restrictions on development
that assured preservation of the beau
ty that made the island so attractive.
And the restrictions have been
enforced diligently.
Numerous golf courses, real estate
developments, numerous shopping cen
ters ... all have been melded into the
original concept of an island retreat
that helps remove you from the clutter
and ugliness of most of America.
Real estate values have been going
up without pause from the beginning.
Sea Pines, the development where the
PGA Tour holds a golf tournament
each year, is special and prices are
astronomical. Just this week a home
' a#
Survey says: Re-gifting is okay
So, I’m not the only one.
Let me tell you a tale. The
names are being withheld to pro
tect the innocent - namely me. If word
got out in social circles that I commit
ted the act you are about to read about,
I would be banned from all future com
munal outings, possibly flogged, and
then sent to my room with no supper,
which I probably need.
A number of years ago, I’m not say
ing how many, I received a gift from
someone, and I’m not saying who. The
gift was presented with love, but was
not to my liking, to be candid. All I will
tell you is that it was a food item, and
if you received it, you would probably
respond with “huh?”
Anyway, when the person presented
it to me and I looked at them as if say
ing “huh?”, they explained in detail
how I could use this particular item.
During that moment, I wasn’t really
listening, but rather thinking how I
could rid of this particular item.
I took the item home, placed it in
the laundry room, and forgot about
it. Sometime in the course of the next
year, my wife found it and asked me
what it was. I said, “I don’t know. I’ve
never seen it before” - which is my
answer to most of her queries.
OPINION
went on the market with a sale price of
$12.4 million.
North of Sea Pines the entire island
is where there are so many homes,
condos, businesses and timeshares and
where you see so many resorts with
their well-manicured golf courses.
There is the beach, of course, and
it is a nice one. But the foremost lure
seems to be the numerous golf courses.
And the serene beauty of the place.
If you look at a map of Hilton Head
you will notice that it is shaped like a
shoe. Once you realize this you find it
easier to get around and find the places
you seek.
Condos costing hundreds of thou
sands of dollars are becoming more
scarce every day. Many are selling in
the millions and you hear stories of the
prices going up a hundred or two hun
dred thousand in a year or so.
It is almost unbelievable. Many of
the early residents of Sea Pines and
other communities on the island have
found that they no longer can afford to
live here. They are being replaced by
others with deeper pockets and there
does not seem to be any shortage of
them. Some Houston County residents
"You know, roughing it isn't so bad
when you have a microwave!"
So, she put it away in one of her
places and it resurfaced right about
the time we had to give gifts again
l’m not saying when. We had a slew
of other gifts out, and being an idiot, I
pointed at the gift I had been given and
said, “Let’s give that to so-and-so.”
Remember, this is a food item, and it
had been roughly a year.
My wife gift-wrapped it and we went
on our way. I later presented the gift.
The person looked at me as if saying
“huh?” As I was mimicking what I was
told a year earlier on how this item
could be used, I came to the blood-cur
dling realization that I was giving the
gift to the very person who had given
it to me.
I stumbled, stammered, and finished
my presentation, then limped away,
white-faced and shaken. I hid in a
closet until it was time to leave.
Foy
Evans
Columnist
(oyevanst9@cox.net
Len
Robbins
Columnist
airpub@planttel.net
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
have had homes or condos here and
sold them and there are many from our
county who still own condos here.
All the restaurants - and there are
plenty of them - feature food you
expect on the coast at a resort area.
It is great for a change, but hardly
what you could eat on a regular basis.
It is hard to find a restaurant that
serves the kind of food people eat
day in and day out. I have asked
natives working in stores where they
eat and most of them say they live
back on the mainland in small towns.
About the only place you used to be
able to get what I consider a real meal
was a Cracker Barrel and I just learned
that it has closed.
With all its natural beauty I find
the world of Hilton Head sort of unre
al. There is the natural beauty, the
way it has been protected, the laid
back life style. It hasn’t been spoiled.
People in Warner Robins who complain
about their city’s “ugliness” have to
understand that their cityjust happened.
It was not planned. In Hilton Head you
see what can be accomplished with plan
ning, enforcement and a lot of money.
Warner Robins had none of these.
There is no one who can be blamed,
because people with very little money
did the best they could to survive in the
early days when there was no assur
ance that Robins AFB would not fade
away any day.
So it is nice to visit a place like this,
enjoy its beauty and serenity. It is good,
after a while, to go back home. And
look forward to coming here again.
I had “re-gifted” the gifter - a wicked
taboo, even in Georgia.
Years later, my faux pas still haunts
me, but a recent story from Reuters
shows I’m not alone.
The story states that a recent survey
of 1,505 American adults shows that
“re-gifting” is a common phenomenon,
with 52 percent of the respondents say
ing they have re-gifted. And 78 percent
of the consumers polled said they saw
nothing wrong with it.
The survey further found that 77 per
cent of respondents re-gifted because
the item was perfectly suited for the
new recipient. Exactly - that’s why I
did it.
The study also showed that nine
percent of those surveyed said they
re-gifted out of laziness. I have no idea
what they are talking about.
Among the most common of re-gift
ed presents are decorative household
items like vases, paintings, picture
frames, and trinkets - all items that
shouldn’t be re-gifted to me.
So, a scientific survey has concluded
that there is nothing wrong with re
gifting, which means I’m off the hook.
Now, I just need to remember who
gave me that fruitcake that’s been in
the laundry room since December.