Newspaper Page Text
Page 2C, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, July 23, 2008
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1. Stylish
5. South in France
8. "Or "
12. "I am woman, here me
II
13. Eagle's nest
14. Stain
15. Bullets and cannon
balls
16. Strong desire
17. Polynesian kingdom
18. *It serves pages
20. First name, palindrome
21. Stallone's "First "
22. Winter glider
23. One who sells bows
26. Ghostly apparition
30. Minnesota Boundary
Waters entry point
31. Bottle for corrosive
liquids
34. Greasy
35. Respond
37. Hockey great Bobby
38. Work the dough
39. Rocker David Lee
40. *Game participant
42. Member of Shoshonean
people
43. Goddess, counterpart
ofIshtar
45. On the cleaning crew
47. It's black at a formal
48. Flora and
50. Psychiatrist Jung
52. *M in IM
56. "Deck the Halls," e.g.
57. " up" in poker
58. Black and white treat
59. Plural of #58 Across
60. Breezed through
61. Gambler's cube
62. *Junk mail
63. Sea in French
64. Inquires
DOWN
1. "Stuck in my "
2. * page on a Web
site
3. Unstressed-stressed pat
tern in poetry
4. Crooner Bing
5. Gas station in Australia
6. Forced on or recom
mended
7. One who dyes
Special to the Ledger
By Cathy Elliott
Nothing in life, it seems,
is really ever easy or very
clear-cut. Some typical
phrases that tend to really
rile up the naysayer lurking
inside might include:
"Those roses are abso
lutely gorgeous.”
"Good ol’ Kenny Perry
won the Buick Open this
year! ”
"Kyle Busch has won
seven NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series races and is smok
ing everybody else, every
week.”
Whatever doesn’t suit
our particular tastes or
expectations is explained
away, or simply ignored.
In other words, the times
when things seem to be
going really well for others
is also the time we generally
choose to show our "buts”.
You know what I’m talking
about:
"Those roses are abso
lutely gorgeous, BUT watch
out for the thorns.”
"Good ol’ Kenny Perry
did indeed win the Buick
Open, BUT only because
Tiger Woods wasn’t play
ing.”
"Kyle Busch may have
won seven times already,
BUT just wait until Hen
drick Motorsports’ Big
Three (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff
Gordon and Dale Earnhardt
Jr.) get going.”
Hello, ostriches. I know
it’s kind of hard to hear with
all that sand in your ears,
BUT there comes a time
when we have to accept
things for what they are.
Roses really are gorgeous.
Good of Kenny Perry’s
Buick Open victory was not
his first in the prestigious
tournament. He won it back
in 2001 ... and Tiger played
in that one.
Young Master Busch has
posted seven victories so
far this season, while the
much-lauded firepower of
Junior, Jimmie and Jeff has
combined for a whopping
two wins. If they’re going to
8. * :) or :-(, e.g.
9. Christian fast
10. Asian food thickener
11. Geological period
13. borealis
14. Feed the fire
19. Political action
22. * This "ware" is un
wanted
23. Yankee Yogi
24. Margarines
25. Earp of the Wild West
26. Arrange by categories
get going, they’d better get
on with it.
Change, while inevitable
and usually for the best,
is rarely welcome. An
especially poignant sports
moment recently came just
prior to Major League Base
ball’s All-Star game, when
the Hall of Fame players in
attendance were introduced.
Some, like Willie Mays,
Willie McCovey and Ernie
Banks, were already legend
ary names before many of
us were born. Others, like
Cal Ripken Jr., George Brett
and Ryne Sandberg, lived
their personal glory days
and ended their careers
while we watched. Some we
loved and others we loathed,
but now we recognize all
of them for what they were
- great.
Things change fast in the
professional sporting arena,
and NASCAR moves faster
than most. Sadly, some of
our own legendary champi
ons, such as Dale Earnhardt,
are now gone. Others, like
Darrell Waltrip, Dale Jarrett
and Rusty Wallace, have
parlayed their expertise on
the track into broadcasting
careers. "The King”, Rich
ard Petty, just celebrated
his 50th anniversary in
NASCAR.
Time passes, with or with
out our consent. Like waves
crashing on the beach, each
new incoming tide knocks
down the former sandcas-
tles, smoothing the surface
for new kingdoms to be
built, with new monarchs to
rule them.
Some of these new ivory
tower-dwellers may turn out
to be despots, BUT that’s
the way it is with royalty.
Whether blessed with divine
right or just the ability to
stage a successful coup,
they’re better than everyone
else, and there’s nothing we
can do about it.
In this peaceful seaside
scenario, Kyle Busch has
coming roaring in like a
tsunami. He’s also sweeping
plenty of BUTS aside along
27. Bind
28. Fill with optimism
29. Fictional cowboy Red
32. Key player in Bush
presidency
33. Burned by feminists
36. *Discussion place
38. Swedish money
40. "He and drank the
precious Words..."
41. Entertained
44. Small streams
46. Asian temple
the way. For example:
"He’s aggressive, BUT he
isn’t team-oriented enough
to win on a restrictor plate
track.” (Winner of the
Aaron’s 499 at Talladega
Superspeedway on April 27:
Kyle Busch)
"He’s fast, BUT he’s too
impatient to win on a shorter
track.” (Winner of the Dover
400 at Dover International
Speedway on June 1: Kyle
Busch)
"He can go round and
round, BUT there’s no way
he can get it done on a road
course.” (Winner of the
Toyota/Save Mart 350 at
Infineon Raceway on June
22: Kyle Busch)
"Okay, he lucked out and
won a plate race, BUT he
still can’t win at the big dog,
Daytona.” (Winner of the
Coke Zero 400 at Daytona
International Speedway on
July 5: Kyle Busch
"He has good engines,
BUT it’s almost impos
sible to beat the Roush and
Hendrick cars on the 1-1/2
mile ovals.” (Winner of the
Chicagoland 400 at Chica-
goland Speedway on July 12:
Kyle Busch)
What’s left? Oh, right...
Darlington. No one is exactly
sure how to categorize the
Lady in Black, as she doesn’t
fit neatly into any standard
mold or template. BUT we
do know this, because the
greatest stock car racers
48. Home barrier
49. Primarily fall-bloom
ing herbs with daisylike
flowers
50. Goldfish or koi, e.g.
51. A particular region
52. Derived from madame
53. Purple flower of Van
Gogh's fame
54. Head support
55. Musical "Anything
in history have relentlessly
beaten it into our brains over
the past 60 years: Only the
best can win at Darlington.
The champions’ list includes
David Pearson, Cale Yarbor
ough, Bobby Allison, Dale
Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon.
A new name joined that
list in 2008. Winner of the
Dodge Challenger 500 at
Darlington: Kyle Busch.
Am I fan of Kyle Busch?
I am not. It isn’t personal. I
just don’t necessarily feel it
is good for the sport when
one driver wins too often. I
favor variety.
BUT, I do recognize and
appreciate things like tal
ent and ambition when I
see them, and he is so full
of those things, he could
explode at any moment.
Spontaneous combustion,
before our very eyes.
We don’t have to like him
in his current dominat
ing role, BUT we have to
accept it, for now at least. I
have every reason to believe
we’re going to continue to
publicly show our collective
BUTS when the talk turns to
NASCAR and Kyle Busch.
I’m equally sure you will
agree that it is in everyone’s
best interest to devise some
way to cover those BUTS
when necessary. Kyle shows
every intention of continuing
to kick them around for quite
some time, so it’s best to be
prepared.
Do you know your credit
score? A low credit score
could be costing you
money. People with poor
scores usually pay higher
interest rates, which trans
lates into larger monthly
payments for a mortgage
or an auto or student loan.
Poor scores can also cause
you problems when rent
ing an apartment, signing
up for a cell phone plan or
even getting the job you
want. Luckily, according
to the Georgia Society of
CPAs, there are steps you
can take to try to improve
your score.
SETTING THE SCORE
Your credit score is cal
culated by three national
credit bureaus: Equifax,
Experian and TransUnion.
The scores generally range
from 300 at the low end
to 850 at the high end.
The score you get from
each credit bureau may be
slightly different, but they
should all fall within the
same range.
The credit bureaus
consider several factors
when they determine your
credit score. If you’ve had
many late payments in
the past or have filed for
bankruptcy at some point,
those facts will lower your
credit score. However,
those problems will carry
less weight if they oc
curred in the distant past,
rather than the last year
or so. The bureaus will
also examine how much
outstanding debt and how
many credit card accounts
you have. The length
of your credit history is
important, too, so a recent
graduate with a brand new
credit card may get a lower
score than someone with
years’ of good payment
history.
RAISING YOUR
SCORE
What’s best score to
have? Most people who
score in the mid-700
range or higher will likely
qualify for the loans they
want without having to
pay a premium for credit.
But how do you raise your
score if it’s not at that
level?
The first and most impor
tant step is to start paying
your bills on time. Your
payment history is a criti
cal factor in calculating
your score, so improving
your payment habits can
have the greatest impact.
You should also make an
effort to lower the amount
of debt that you have out
standing. If you’ve charged
up to the maximum on
every credit card you own,
that will lower your score.
CPAs advise that you use
no more than 25% to 30%
of your available credit.
That shows the credit
bureaus that you’re able to
manage some debt, but that
you’re not overspending
with the cards you have.
CHECK YOUR CRED
IT REPORT
It’s a good idea to review
your credit report with the
three credit bureaus regu
larly to make sure their
information is accurate.
You are eligible to get a
free credit report every
year from each of the three
major credit bureaus. To
learn more, go to www.ann
ualcreditreport.com or call
877-322-8228.
Reviewing your report
enables you to correct any
mistakes you may find.
In addition, if you find a
number of errors, it could
be an indication that you
are a victim of identity
theft. If this is the case,
someone is using your
personal information,
which is something you’ll
want to remedy as quickly
as possible.
YOUR CPA CAN HELP
What can you do to
receive and maintain a
healthy credit score? The
best advice is to get one
or two credit cards while
you’re relatively young,
and use them wisely. That
makes it possible to build
a substantial credit history
and demonstrate that you
are a good credit risk.
Managing credit properly
is just one of the steps to
ward maintaining healthy
finances. If you have
questions about your credit
score or your debt manage
ment plan--or any other
financial issue facing your
family—be sure to consult
your local CPA.
The GSCPA is the pre
mier professional orga
nization for CPAs in the
state of Georgia. For more
information, access our
web site at www.gscpa.org.
Produced in cooperation
with the AICPA. ©2008
The American Institute of
Certified Public Accoun
tants
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Flowers and Happy Birthday
Ramona Higgs
Compliments of
Leesburg Flower and Gift
Walnut Street Leesburg, Georgia
Phone 759-6917
Flowers may be picked up at Leesburg Flower and Gift
Wishes a Happy Birthday:
July 24: Jan Gubitti, Charlie Ross, Taylor Warren, T. Z. Grace, Cecilia
Cravey, Kylee Graham, C.L. Thomas, Miranda Yesbick, Tom Simon,
William Blake Pressley, Rickey Frazier, Betty Rivers, Jason Eubanks,
James Nickens, Aline Grace, Saralyn Paige, Johnny Fordham, Mikie
Hall, Kristin McGinley, Kevin Marlin, Tawania McCray, Kody James
Harcrow, Samantha P. Anglin, Robert Gardner Jr., Bill McLendon;
July 25: Turner Kirksey, Todd Braswell, Morgan Vann, Phoebe
Bullock, David McCoy, Rusty Skalla, Sybil Hayes, David Baxley,
Betty Alford, John Banks, Amber Bryant, Dot Tyus, Jan Weathersby,
Bernice Reynolds, Stacye Sangster, Buddy Plummer, Debbie Bour
geois, Yvonne Bryant, Mallorie Davis, Jo Anna Davis; July 26: Sonya
Roberts, Kenny Freeman, Sue Martin, Cody Webb, John Frazier,
Katrena Walker, Rusty Watson, M. J. Everett, Tiffani Harcrow, Shane
Jordon, Jennifer Greely, Sue Martin, T.E. Blankenship, Lorraine Rish,
Sheri T. Thornhill, Marissa Dixon, Bernadine Mills, Cody Webb,
Brantley Kennedy, Kelly Griffin, Jeff Prince, Marilyn Morgan, Billy
J. Manders, Blake Lodge, Greg Wright, Nathan Williams, Douglas
Ritchie, June Lewis, Marra Smith, Kathy Lee, Tom McGinley, Robin
Knight; July 27: Felix Marbury, John Wyatt “Bubba” Goza, Phil Gib
son, Kendall Lasseter; July 28: Kay Barfield, Ramona Higgs, Vaughn
Lewis, Renee Metts, TJ McConnell, Michael Hadley, George Pressley
Jr., Ashley Garcia, Mark Kimbrell, Mona Harrell, Julie Miller, Haley
Hall, Diane Ethridge, Henry Wimbush, Sr., Christy Cox, Julie Hare,
Diann Wright, Jenny Upton, Nettie Watkins, Sandy Jacobs, Dale
Hodges, Debbie Ledford, Taylor Corley, Rebecca Meeks; July 29:
Sabrina Layfield, Ann Marie Cockrell, Shirley Stiles, Don Cornett,
Amy McCorkle, Bradley Dowis, Clay Barfield, Jerrett Dunham, Janice
Phillips, Mike Moorman, Jennifer Bowman, Danny Smith, Nancy
Fleming, Billy Mullis, Jr., Jim Prothro, Jim Thomas, Donald S. Smith,
Kelvin Lockett, Joanne Campbell, Kitty Bishop, Bob Dutton, Hugh
Francis, Bill Mitchell, Lauren Davis; July 30: Susan Miller, Mike
Calhoun, William Nance, Tanner Graham, Beth Toole, Melvin Brown,
Mack Hare, Myrtle Heath, Luica Morrison, Bryce Hall, Schanne
Rivers, Stephanie Smith, Mary Wilson, Monnie W. Clements, Darrell
Butler, Ellen Dixon, Aubrey Breneman;
Wishes a Happy Anniversary:
July 24: Mr. and Mrs. Bil Maxwell, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Ford, Mr.
and Mrs. Larry Cooley; July 25: Mr. and Mrs. Kem Spivey, Mr. and
Mr. Bryan Hayes, Mr. and Mrs. David Widner, Mr. and Mrs. William
H. Chapman Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Russell Lewis; July 27: Mr. and Mrs.
Mark McClure, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Fullerton , Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Holmes, Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Kyle, Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Adams; July
28: Mr. and Mrs. Danny King, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Sherman, Mr. and
Mrs. Billy Pate, Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Fields, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hous
ton; July 29: Mr. and Mrs. Larry Manley, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Paul,
Mr. and Mrs. Hal Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Long, Mr. and Mrs.
Bernie Spell; July 30: Mr. and Mrs. Jack Daniel Garrett, Mr. and Mrs.
Nic Lawton, Mr. and Mrs. Lou Sheffield, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Powell,
Mr and Mrs Jeff Moye
56. Sin over tan
On NASCAR: No Buts About It