Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Bomb Squad Called CMPD Uses Silent 911 for Gang Related Murder Attempt

Cedar Posts hears of a new trend at CMPD where high profile calls are sent out via cell phone rather than radio, in an attempt to avoid alerting the news media over the radio. If CP understands correctly CMPD dispatchers have been told by Chief Monroe to use cell phones to notify certain high priority response teams.



Word is the gang known as the Latin Kings in Greensboro had a little beef with a rival Charlotte gang member, so they sent him a package. CMPD called in the bomb techs via cell phone who later detonated the bomb, last Thursday.

Nothing heard from CMPD or the local news media. But word on the street is the King's message was heard loud and clear.

Overnight's Biggest News

Overnight's biggest news was not that Snooki, made an "appearance" in Charlotte or that "Twilight Eclipse" brought fans out at midnight to watch the latest installment of Jacob - Bella - Edward.

The biggest overnight news is the University of South Carolina Gamecocks won their first NCAA baseball national championship.



Late last night South Carolina's Whit Merrifield singled to right field with one out in the 11th inning to score the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the UCLA Bruins Tuesday in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.

Yes that's right Omaha, as in Omaha Nebraska you know Mutual of Omaha? OK it's that state that sits behind Iowa, lets just say the middle of nowhere.

Sports red haired stepchild the CWS (College World Series) has long been overlooked. Someone thought a long time ago that the College World Series should have a permanent home and the picked a place pretty much smack in the middle of the United States.

While the Superbowl and the BCS gather 100s of thousands of fans and the NBA Championship and Final Four send hoops fans in frenzy for weeks, the College World Series has for years toiled under the heat of Nebraska's summer sun nearly void of national attention much less local attention here in basketball country.

There were no "live from Omaha" reports on Eyewitness News, and WBTV's D and D didn't camp out in the Nebraska prairie and point at The road to Omaha.

College baseball has always been the odd NCAA sport that doesn't follow the routine of their professional sports cousins. In Omaha you won't find screaming college coeds or cheerleaders. Of the Gamecocks roster less than 10 percent of the players are even considering a professional baseball career. Most star players are signed well before their senior year.

Their season ends long after graduation, long after the campus has thinned out for the summer, and well before the new freshman show up for orientation.

For these are the boys of summer and on this night they played to perfection on their field of dreams. A field somewhere in the Midwestern grass land in a place that is called Omaha.

Footnote: The Gamecocks provided the perfect send-off for the stadium that has been home to college baseball's biggest event since 1950, the CWS moves to a new stadium in downtown Omaha next year.

Monday, June 28, 2010

South Police Captain Adjusts to New Job

There is not a lot of good news about Rodney Monroe and the Charlotte Police Department so when some bright news shows up we would be wrong not to push it.

Unfortunatly when this story about CMPD South Division's new captain Jim Wilson ran in the Charlotte Observer back on June 8, 2010 no one noticed and no one commented.

From the Charlotte Observer:

When Jim Wilson visited south Charlotte in 1981, it felt like the edge of the world.

Wilson was a freshman from Fayetteville, and his high school football team was playing South Mecklenburg High for the state championship.

"We drove through the woods to get there," said Wilson. "Highway 51 was the edge of life."

Now 43, Wilson is the new captain of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's South Division, an area that's exploding with growth; so much growth that South Meck High, off Park Road, is now in one of the northernmost parts of the division.

Of the 13 patrol divisions, South is one of the largest, covering 57 square miles and a population of 141,000.

Wilson took the position about a month ago, replacing Rod Golding, who now is captain of CMPD's homicide unit. Wilson said he shares Golding's vision for the area and plans to continue increasing police visibility in the community, informing the public about their greatest safety concerns and how they can address them, and telling the public how they can get involved.

The rest of the story is here.

Standed Naked Beach Party



Once again the Stranded Naked Cheeseburger Beach Party will take place on Fiddle Cay just across the water from Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas.

If you're not there on July 2, 2010 .... you're somewhere else!

What Eastland Mall Needs is "Unaffordable" Housing

If you are breathing you know that Charlotte's once fashionable Eastland Mall is no more.

In fact it has been no more for the last 4 years and on life support since late 1999. I don't think I've been to Eastland Mall since high school when I was robbed at gun point.

But I was reading the Observer and the Meck Deck Reader's Digest version (I'm dated aren't I? How many off you even understand the analogy "reader's digest"?) about the decline of Eastland and a crazy idea came to mind.

Charlotte's City Leaders are always pushing for affordable housing, the idea they support is that for a good city we need diversity, social as well as economic and ethnic.

The reason for Eastland's decline is the parallel decline in the average income level of the Central Avenue, and Albemarle Road Corridor.

So what we need is more "unaffordable" housing.

East Charlotte needs some country club housing, a few spas and high end shops, some upscale hotel and golf courses and some office complexes with an IBM or wait maybe Wells Fargo to come in and build a massive complex maybe even a couple of "Buckhead" Atlanta type venues.

What the area needs is a tax abatement for multi million dollar properties! No property taxes for 20 years or better. It took 2 decades to turn East Charlotte into a slum it will take some big thinking and some time to get it going the other way.

The City should start thinking outside the box and rebuild East Charlotte. Rather than let some shopping center management team turn Eastland into a little Tijuana it needs to become another Ballantyne. Just think we already have the "affordable" housing now build the "unaffordable" housing.

Its time the middle class did a little push back! And it will take the City to give up some tax revenue as an incentive to get things rolling.

Think I'm crazy, this same plan has been successful in Houston and Dallas as well as Atlanta and Chicago.

Cedar Posts Update: The Charlotte Observer reported late Monday that Boxer Property Management Company purchased Eastland Mall for $2 Million Dollars, that kidos is around $4 dollars a foot. If you would like to see what to expect for Eastland just drive out to Carolinawinds and have a look to the Plaza Fiesta!

Cindy Brady Pleads Guilty in the Mecklenburg County DDS Giving Tree Scam

Cedar Posts is following the news out of United States Federal Court this Morning.

Just a few minutes ago former Mecklenburg County DSS executive Cindy Brady formally entered a plea of Guilty to 3 counts of embezzlement.

Brady faces maximum of ten years prison and a quarter-million dollar fine for each count. She has been released on a $25k unsecured bond.

Sentencing will not take place at least until year end and could be as late as early next year. Brady's sentence will be determined based on Federal Sentencing guidelines. It would be unusual for Brady to be given a harsh 30 year sentence, however Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole, so whatever sentence handed down will be for the full term.

Today's hearing before US District Court Judge David Keesler was more of a formality. Brady will report to US Probation officers later today, after being processed by US Marshal's this morning.

She will be under the supervision of US Probation Officers while she is awaiting sentencing.

You can read the US Attorney's Office May 18, 2010 announcement here.

No word from County Manager Harry Jones, who has stayed well under the radar since this story broke a little more than a month ago.

Thanks to WBT News Radio's Chris Miller for his twitter updates live from the Federal Court House.

Prior Cedar Posts on the Mecklenburg DSS Giving Tree Scam:

Harry Jones and the Mecklenburg BOCC Offers Up a Goat Cindy Brady

FBI Has Been Looking Into Mecklenburg DSS

Harry Jones Shoots The Messenger

The Badger Keeps Digging

Another View On McChrystal

I'd rather write my own op-ed but sometimes it's worth pointing readers of Cedar Posts to alternate views, on current topics.

New York Times Columist Frank Rich points out something that might be obvious to some but that is invisible to most:

The moment he pulled the trigger, there was near-universal agreement that President Obama had done the inevitable thing, the right thing and, best of all, the bold thing. But before we get carried away with relief and elation, let’s not forget what we saw in the tense 36 hours that fell between late Monday night, when word spread of Rolling Stone’s blockbuster article, and high noon Wednesday, when Obama MacArthured his general. That frenzied interlude revealed much about the state of Washington, the Afghanistan war and the Obama presidency — little of it cheering and none of it resolved by the ingenious replacement of Gen. Stanley McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus, the only militarily and politically bullet-proof alternative.

What we saw was this:

1) Much of the Beltway establishment was blindsided by Michael Hastings’s scoop, an impressive feat of journalism by a Washington outsider who seemed to know more about what was going on in Washington than most insiders did;

2) Obama’s failure to fire McChrystal months ago for both his arrogance and incompetence was a grievous mistake that illuminates a wider management shortfall at the White House;

3) The present strategy has produced no progress in this nearly nine-year-old war, even as the monthly coalition body count has just reached a new high.

If we and the president don’t absorb these revelations and learn from them, the salutary effects of the drama’s denouement, however triumphant for Obama in the short run, will be for naught.

And then there is Jon Stewart's McChrysal's Balls which is here.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Priceless Tweets of the Week!

@Cara: My cats won't eat during this thunderstorm so I might as well run the vacuum since they hate that too.

@prettyannoyed to @Daily_Pinch "Pretty sure seeing me yell "Your penis is still small" to the douche revving up his motorcycle scarred your child for life"

If you are not following @cara and @prettyannoyed you are missing out!

Recycling - City of Charlotte Out of Control

On Monday July 5, 2010 The City of Charlotte's much hyped recycle roll out bins will be put to use. The 12 Million dollar price tag was justified by Charlotte's City Council and Mayor who explained it will save the city 12 million dollars over the next five years. See The Charlotte Observer from February 9, 2010 here.


Charlotte city leaders show how to use the new larger roll out recycling bin.

As well as Solid Waste Services staff:

"These improvements represent a major change to the current recycling operation," said Victoria O. Garland, Solid Waste Services key business executive. "Changing the operation will have several environmental benefits including reducing the waste going to the landfill and reduced emissions as a result of a smaller vehicle fleet. We will also be able to reduce costs by approximately $12 million over the next five years." The Complete text is here.

First that was just plain stupid, but even with that simple fail of the time value of money concept those in Govco pressed on. Later Charlotte's Solid Waste Services Department would claim that the savings would be more around 43 million. But that includes the estimated saving of the prior recycling program. In other words smoke and mirrors.

Soon after the green containers began showing up, it was learned that each container included an embedded "spy chip" which is coded to your house. WBT's Tara Servatius, Creative Loafing, Cedar Posts, Meck Deck and others sounded the alarm that sent homeowners in search of the hidden RF chip with box cutters and hammers.

The City later sent out a notice claiming that the concerns raised were unfounded. No reply when CP asked why the City had not be more forthcoming prior to local media's discovery of the chip. Makes ya wonder doesn't it?

Keep in mind the the State of North Carolina recently passed a law making it illegal at put plastic types 1 and 2 as well as aluminum into your regular garbage. But the state says they have no plans to enforce the law. Makes ya wonder doesn't it?

The "roll out" of the roll out container has been less than impressive. The numerous instructions and calendars mail out were just as confusing as is evidenced by the number of neighbors who roll their recycle bin to the street every week only to roll it back the next day just as full.

The calendar was supposed to be color coded, orange or green, but apparently the printer misplaced the green/orange square which made the calendar useless. The City of Charlotte would have done better by mailing out the Charlotte Knights Baseball schedule. Have a look at the still confusing calendar here.

The other big selling point promoted by the city was that they will be able to recycle more recyclables. That is except, pizza boxes, plastic grocery bags, styrofoam take out boxes, paper plates and napkins and plastic food trays and boxes.

I'm sorry I live in a dual income home, as I suspect nearly 1/2 of the city does and pizza boxes, take out plastic trays, styrofoam and grocery bags are my life.

In all, other than a cool new garbage can in my garage it seems to be a complete waste of taxpayer money, a time confusing burden and just another reason to throw out the current members of Charlotte's City Council.

Cedar Posts Update:

Charita Curtis tells the Charlotte Observer that the new rollout program will save the city an estimated 15 million over the next five years and 43 million over the next decade.

Solid Waste Management Director Bruce Gledhill also tells the Observer that new equipment was installed in December at a cost around 7 million.

Based on available information Cedar Posts is left to assume that the 7 million is in addition to the 12 million spent on the new roll out containers.

Seems that Charlotte's Solid Waste, the Mayor and City Council are pretty loose with the numbers and facts. A little surprising considering the fall out over the Mecklenburg County DSS accounting earlier this year.

You can read the full Observer article here.

CN2's Nicole Darin is moving to WBTV

CN2's Nicole Darin is moving to WBTV score!



Keeping with WBTV's expanding trend to have women as sports anchors, WBTV has inked a deal to steal cutie Nicole Darin from Rockhill's low budget cable news operation.

Ms. Darin sent this tweet on Friday:

@NicoleDarin: "Hi tweeps! I want you to be the first to know I've accepted a Sports Anchor possition at WBTV in Charlotte! I start at channel 3 on 7/12 :)"

The spunky cutie has a large fan base in Rock Hill and Charlotte but sadly only 103 Twitter followers.

Y'all fix that would you please? Nicole's Twitter Page is here.

Jerry Seinfeld vs Lady Gaga

It wasn't much a match up. I would have thought something along the line of UFC on Spike, but alas it was not to be.



Turns out Lady Gaga aka Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanottahas, been enjoying her new found stardom by showing up at baseball games and stripping down to her underwear.

(Now why didn't I think of that?)

Gaga claims she's Gaga for baseball and shows up at a Mets Game. You know the Mets the other team from New York, often though of as the "Blue Collar Yankees" where Gaga shows up to watch the Mets play Detroit and promptly strips down to a rhinestone studded bra and panties.

The TV cameras zoom in on Gaga and the Mets fans start booing. Gaga doesn't like being booed after all she's a STAR so she offers up a double bird flip and the nearby Mets fans start throwing anything within reach at her. Keep in mind this the Mets she'll be sleeping with the fishes if security doesn't do something quick.

So the Mets staff UPGRADE Gaga to a private box, not just any box but Jerry Seinfeld's box.

Seinfeld is later asked about the Gaga incident.

"I can't believe they put her in my box, which I paid for ... You give people the finger and you get upgraded? Is that the world we're living in now? It's pathetic. And why is she giving the finger? How old is the finger? How'd it even get to be the finger? Somewhere along the line somebody decided this is the bad finger," Seinfeld said on WFAN.

Seinfeld also said of Lady Gaga, "You take one 'A' off of that and you've got gag."

He had more.

"I don't know what these young people think or how they promote their careers," Seinfeld said. "I'm older, you know, I'm 56. I look at Lady Gaga the way Keith Hernandez watches these kids when they pull the pocket out, they wear the inside-out pocket. ... Do you think he could understand that? He can't understand that. That's a new game, that's kids."

Later in the interview, it was pointed out that Lady Gaga created the earlier stir by inviting herself into the New York Yankees' clubhouse. "Oh please," Seinfeld said. "Wake me when it's over. Get an act. Rhinestone bikinis and giving people the finger."

Gaga says: "My life is a celebration of shame".

Cedar Posts says: "I think that sums it up rather nicely."

Friday, June 25, 2010

Monroe Store Clerks Gun Down Habitual Felon Robert Christopher Young

Two brothers who own a Monroe convenience store dispatched a would be robber around 10:17 Thursday night.

Monroe Police and Union County Sheriffs Deputies responded to a holdup alarm at the Sunny Food Mart of Walkup Avenue just off of NC Highway 74 Thursday night.

Robert Christopher Young, 23, of Monroe was declared dead after being transported to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.


Robert Christopher Young

Sopea Pich and his brother were working inside the convenience store when Young entered, pulled out a gun and demanded money. Pich said the store has been robbed in the past and he and his brother both had guns for protection.

According to New Channel 36 "He was yelling, 'Give me the money. Give me the money.' I didn't really have time to think. I shot him," Pich said.

Police said they found Young in front of a home on nearby McIntyre Street.

Why I Love Twitter

Candid moments make Twitter entertaining

ie:

Ryan McGee Author and ESPN Magazine Staff Writer and Sports Analyst

@RyanMcGeeESPN: "Dude beside me on plane is reading my book @TheRoadToOmaha. Do I tell him?"

Nearly an hour later:

@RyanMcGeeESPN: "Me: How's the book? Dude w/@TheRoadToOmaha: It's good. Me: Damn that's an ugly photo of the author. Him: Really? (Looks) Hey wait..."

McChrystal Obama's Waterloo?

On Wednesday President Obama accepted the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal. In reality he fired the General and made a spectacle of the matter by parading General Petraeus out in the heat and humidity of a June afternoon.



McChrystal's crime? He is quoted as suggesting that the President is out of touch. The other comments including the priceless jab at VP Bite-Me were made by the General's staff, not cool but certainly not worthy of a dismissal.

The point of the Rolling Stone/Hasting article was lost to the wind as republicans and democrats whipped into a feeding frenzy by the buzzmedia and talking head punditocracy denounced McChrystal. Never before has so much been said about so little that was said in the history of the US Army.

Those reading the complete article are shocked to discover that McChrystal and staff were not planning to over throw the government and suspend the Constitution, just simply passing time while stuck in Paris. McChrystal and his staff were not making a public statement nor addressing the forces he commands. The damming analog was just talk observed by an embedded journalist, who used those comments as lead in to a detailed expose' on the Afghan war effort.

Now reacting to the uneducated public many politicians including South Carolina's Lindsay Graham have spoken out in support of the President's decision. But was it Obama's best option? Was it the best move considering what is on the line is Afghanistan?

The lesson of Waterloo is pick your battles carefully and don't try to take on all the bad guys at one time. If history teaches us one thing its not to fix things that aren't broken. McChrystal had a good handle on the Afghan war. He knew the challenge and was as hard working as he was straight talking. More importantly he was respected by the men on the ground and had built a strong relationship with the Afghans.

Petreus is a manager, a bureaucrat who was smart enough to have guys like McChrystal on the front lines.

McChrystal had complained to Petreus that POTUS and Congress were out of touch with regards to "COIN" all would be wise to read and understand "COIN" Counter Insurgency Operations here.

The truth is Obama is today and he has been in the past distracted, and this distraction will cost us the war in Afghanistan and this battle his Waterloo will leave Obama as a one term president.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Banning Ugly Cleavage

I'm not talking about low cut jeans on 20 somethings. I am talking breast Cleavage that looks like someones Butt!

With all the press about new laws and government directives proposed by the Obama administration, I was hoping for a total ban on "Ugly Butt Crack Breast Cleavage". I know this is a very sensitive subject since it deals with "plus sized" women.

Honestly I get it, women who are a little heavy are at least proud of their "big boobs" and a shocking number of plus sized women are putting it all out there on display.

Here's a newsflash if your cleavage looks like a plumber's butt crack it is not flattering, sexy or even remotely attractive.

Case is point Ms. Hilary Rosen a political commentator with CNN and former staff reporter with the Huffington Post.



Yuck! Come on Hillary cover up!

Another example of someone who should cover up Lindsay Lohan.

At 24 the once ample LiLo now has granny boobs. Just proof that booze, cigs, cocaine and a party lifestyle will suck the life out of your boobs.



Double Yuck!

McChrystal Obama and the Lost Cause

Without a clear goal the Afghan war has dragged on. General Stanley McChrystal may have been "Afghanistan's last hope". Ask anyone who has been there in the last year and they will tell you it's a mess. The only thing working was McChrystal and the only play book belongs to the general.

Suddenly its half time and the team owner wants to change coaches. Brilliant move Mr. President.

If you read the story "Runaway General" you will find nothing but banter between staff. There is nothing profound or treasonous, and if a bunch of suits in Washington want to make a big deal out of some comments made over a couple of beers, well let them spend a year in the frigging shit hole country.

If Obama fires McChrystal and Cedar Posts suspects he will, then we might as well pull out tomorrow. McChrystal on the other hand will offer to resign and who would blame him, but he won't quit its not in his DNA. The President on the other hand well we can just call him President Dangerfield as he gets no respect.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Twilight a Guy's Survial Guide

I have a confession to make, I'm a Twilight Fan. Somehow I was "turned" into a fan along with millions of teenage girls, sorority sisters, twi-moms and left over 80's goth freaks.

Not the crazy stand out in the rain to be the first to see the next installment kind of fan, nor am I obsessed with the whole Twilight vampires and werewolves deal, but there is a lot to like about the first movie.



I'm embarrassed to say, I've watched the darn thing about eight times at least twice all the way through. The only other films that can claim that, are Hunt For Red October, and Caddy Shack!

The first Twilight film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, is a low budget film that succeeded because it has both excellent location work and character development, plus fabulous scenery, a wonderfully dark feel with a really cool sound track, featuring LinkinPark, Muse, Collective Soul, and the haunting "Bella's Lullaby".

The three main stars Taylor Lautner (Jacob), Robert Pattinson (Edward), Kristen Stewart (Bella) have hit the jackpot and will be bookable stars for the next dozen years or more. Pattinson is a much younger Hugh Grant and Stewart is adorably shy and quirky and Lauter has his abs.

Stewart won her role for Twilight due to her role in the film "Into The Wild", another favorite of Cedar Posts, Pattinson as accomplished actor had just the right amount of "English" mystification and Lautner well his abs.

Kellan Lutz who plays the role of Emmett Cullen (Plays Edward's Adoptive Brother), starred in the HBO production of "Generation Kill" which I have also watched a dozen times in the last year.

What I like most about Twilight is the pace, the film moves and if you can overlook the attraction most women find in the film that of "dangerous love", you'll find a really good film with great scenes of the Pacific Northwest.

Unfortunately New Moon and Eclipse, hired other directors and in the case of New Moon the film suffers from gimmicks and special effects overload. But the first Twilight is an enjoyable film that you can watch again and again and still be entertained.

If you can't even bare the thought of watching even a second of the first film much less stand in the rain for the premiere of Eclipse here is a 59 second primer that should get most guys though the next few weeks of Twilight insanity and get you up to speed sort of.....

Bella aka Kristen Stewart goes to live with her father who is the police chief in a small Pacific Northwest town. Jacob Taylor Launter is Bella's childhood friend, (he's a werewolf) and he is a hard ass looking for a fight. Bella meets Edward (Robert Patterson) who is pretty much the odd loner type at the local High School and they hook up.

So for the whole first installment of Twilight, Bella is torn between bad boy Jacob and his abs and dark mysterious loner boy Edward. The trouble is werewolves and vampires don't get along.

To make matters worse, not all vampires are nice like Edward and his family. Enter James who referrers to Bella during a baseball game as "a snack". Seriously my favorite part of the first Twilight is the baseball scene and James smelling Bella then cocking his head like a dog trying to figure out how to grab the "snack"

Watch:




The rest of the movie is Bella dealing with her own feelings and raging hormones. The balance of the Twilight saga of which part three Eclipse premiers June 30th is Bella dealing with the reality of being human, we grow up but vampires never age and the fact that she's a "snack" and of course "choices" she makes and the risks she takes.

Eclipse is the third novel of four, written by author Stephine Meyer, and just to make life unbearable for twilight husbands and boyfriends, the producers behind the films are making the fourth book "Breaking Dawn" into two movies!

Now you have enough Twilight knowledge to make some really big points with your "Twilight" starved spouse or spousal equivalent.

Mrs Cedar now has Bella's Lulaby as her ring tone, (I love it when she jumps around all stupidly excited) which is so much better than the old "striper" music that I've had to listen to for the last year.

McChrystal Exits Stage Right - After Rolling Stone Posts "The Runaway General"

One of the first things you learn while serving in our country's military is the "oath". But it is important to notice the difference between officers and enlisted personnel.

Officers:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

Enlisted:

I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

That small distinction makes a lot of difference. This may become the defining moment in the Obama one term presidency. The soon to be announced resignation of General Stanley McChrystal.

McChrystal broke the time honored tradition of not speaking out publicly against the president. But it is only a tradition. Officers have a duty founded in the Constitution to speak their mind.

President Obama who is a well known "hot head" has every right to call for McChrystal to resign after reading the following article from Rolling Stone. But was it the right move for the country, I certainly don't think so.

As the dust settles we will learn that McChrystal's approval rating is double that of the Commander in Chief.

The Runaway General

This article originally appeared in RS 1108/1109 from July 8-22, 2010.



'How'd i get screwed into going to this dinner?" demands Gen. Stanley McChrystal. It's a Thursday night in mid-April, and the commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is sitting in a four-star suite at the HĆ“tel Westminster in Paris.

He's in France to sell his new war strategy to our NATO allies – to keep up the fiction, in essence, that we actually have allies. Since McChrystal took over a year ago, the Afghan war has become the exclusive property of the United States.

Opposition to the war has already toppled the Dutch government, forced the resignation of Germany's president and sparked both Canada and the Netherlands to announce the withdrawal of their 4,500 troops. McChrystal is in Paris to keep the French, who have lost more than 40 soldiers in Afghanistan, from going all wobbly on him.

"The dinner comes with the position, sir," says his chief of staff, Col. Charlie Flynn.

McChrystal turns sharply in his chair.

"Hey, Charlie," he asks, "does this come with the position?"

McChrystal gives him the middle finger.

Get your dose of political muckraking from Matt Taibbi on the Taibblog.

The general stands and looks around the suite that his traveling staff of 10 has converted into a full-scale operations center. The tables are crowded with silver Panasonic Toughbooks, and blue cables crisscross the hotel's thick carpet, hooked up to satellite dishes to provide encrypted phone and e-mail communications. Dressed in off-the-rack civilian casual – blue tie, button-down shirt, dress slacks – McChrystal is way out of his comfort zone. Paris, as one of his advisers says, is the "most anti-McChrystal city you can imagine."

The general hates fancy restaurants, rejecting any place with candles on the tables as too "Gucci." He prefers Bud Light Lime (his favorite beer) to Bordeaux, Talladega Nights (his favorite movie) to Jean-Luc Godard. Besides, the public eye has never been a place where McChrystal felt comfortable: Before President Obama put him in charge of the war in Afghanistan, he spent five years running the Pentagon's most secretive black ops.

The Spill, The Scandal and the President: How Obama let BP get away with murder.

"What's the update on the Kandahar bombing?" McChrystal asks Flynn. The city has been rocked by two massive car bombs in the past day alone, calling into question the general's assurances that he can wrest it from the Taliban.

"We have two KIAs, but that hasn't been confirmed," Flynn says.

McChrystal takes a final look around the suite. At 55, he is gaunt and lean, not unlike an older version of Christian Bale in Rescue Dawn. His slate-blue eyes have the unsettling ability to drill down when they lock on you. If you've fucked up or disappointed him, they can destroy your soul without the need for him to raise his voice.

Tim Dickinson blogs about all the news that fits, from the Beltway and beyond on the National Affairs blog.

"I'd rather have my ass kicked by a roomful of people than go out to this dinner," McChrystal says.

He pauses a beat.

"Unfortunately," he adds, "no one in this room could do it."

With that, he's out the door.

"Who's he going to dinner with?" I ask one of his aides.

"Some French minister," the aide tells me. "It's fucking gay."

The next morning, McChrystal and his team gather to prepare for a speech he is giving at the Ɖcole Militaire, a French military academy. The general prides himself on being sharper and ballsier than anyone else, but his brashness comes with a price: Although McChrystal has been in charge of the war for only a year, in that short time he has managed to piss off almost everyone with a stake in the conflict. Last fall, during the question-and-answer session following a speech he gave in London, McChrystal dismissed the counterterrorism strategy being advocated by Vice President Joe Biden as "shortsighted," saying it would lead to a state of "Chaos-istan." The remarks earned him a smackdown from the president himself, who summoned the general to a terse private meeting aboard Air Force One. The message to McChrystal seemed clear: Shut the fuck up, and keep a lower profile

Now, flipping through printout cards of his speech in Paris, McChrystal wonders aloud what Biden question he might get today, and how he should respond. "I never know what's going to pop out until I'm up there, that's the problem," he says. Then, unable to help themselves, he and his staff imagine the general dismissing the vice president with a good one-liner.

"Are you asking about Vice President Biden?" McChrystal says with a laugh. "Who's that?"

"Biden?" suggests a top adviser. "Did you say: Bite Me?"

When Barack Obama entered the Oval Office, he immediately set out to deliver on his most important campaign promise on foreign policy: to refocus the war in Afghanistan on what led us to invade in the first place. "I want the American people to understand," he announced in March 2009. "We have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan." He ordered another 21,000 troops to Kabul, the largest increase since the war began in 2001. Taking the advice of both the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he also fired Gen. David McKiernan – then the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan – and replaced him with a man he didn't know and had met only briefly: Gen. Stanley McChrystal. It was the first time a top general had been relieved from duty during wartime in more than 50 years, since Harry Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur at the height of the Korean War.

Even though he had voted for Obama, McChrystal and his new commander in chief failed from the outset to connect. The general first encountered Obama a week after he took office, when the president met with a dozen senior military officials in a room at the Pentagon known as the Tank. According to sources familiar with the meeting, McChrystal thought Obama looked "uncomfortable and intimidated" by the roomful of military brass. Their first one-on-one meeting took place in the Oval Office four months later, after McChrystal got the Afghanistan job, and it didn't go much better. "It was a 10-minute photo op," says an adviser to McChrystal. "Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. Here's the guy who's going to run his fucking war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed."

From the start, McChrystal was determined to place his personal stamp on Afghanistan, to use it as a laboratory for a controversial military strategy known as counterinsurgency. COIN, as the theory is known, is the new gospel of the Pentagon brass, a doctrine that attempts to square the military's preference for high-tech violence with the demands of fighting protracted wars in failed states. COIN calls for sending huge numbers of ground troops to not only destroy the enemy, but to live among the civilian population and slowly rebuild, or build from scratch, another nation's government – a process that even its staunchest advocates admit requires years, if not decades, to achieve. The theory essentially rebrands the military, expanding its authority (and its funding) to encompass the diplomatic and political sides of warfare: Think the Green Berets as an armed Peace Corps. In 2006, after Gen. David Petraeus beta-tested the theory during his "surge" in Iraq, it quickly gained a hardcore following of think-tankers, journalists, military officers and civilian officials. Nicknamed "COINdinistas" for their cultish zeal, this influential cadre believed the doctrine would be the perfect solution for Afghanistan. All they needed was a general with enough charisma and political savvy to implement it.

As McChrystal leaned on Obama to ramp up the war, he did it with the same fearlessness he used to track down terrorists in Iraq: Figure out how your enemy operates, be faster and more ruthless than everybody else, then take the fuckers out. After arriving in Afghanistan last June, the general conducted his own policy review, ordered up by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The now-infamous report was leaked to the press, and its conclusion was dire: If we didn't send another 40,000 troops – swelling the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan by nearly half – we were in danger of "mission failure." The White House was furious. McChrystal, they felt, was trying to bully Obama, opening him up to charges of being weak on national security unless he did what the general wanted. It was Obama versus the Pentagon, and the Pentagon was determined to kick the president's ass.



Official White House photo by Pete Souza

Last fall, with his top general calling for more troops, Obama launched a three-month review to re-evaluate the strategy in Afghanistan. "I found that time painful," McChrystal tells me in one of several lengthy interviews. "I was selling an unsellable position." For the general, it was a crash course in Beltway politics – a battle that pitted him against experienced Washington insiders like Vice President Biden, who argued that a prolonged counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan would plunge America into a military quagmire without weakening international terrorist networks. "The entire COIN strategy is a fraud perpetuated on the American people," says Douglas Macgregor, a retired colonel and leading critic of counterinsurgency who attended West Point with McChrystal. "The idea that we are going to spend a trillion dollars to reshape the culture of the Islamic world is utter nonsense.

The rest of the artical is here.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Idiot Tweet of the Week!

I know it's only Monday but this week's award goes again to Charlotte City Councilman Andy Dulin.

@AndyDulin: "Leaving the hs on my way to #cltcc meetings. Watch at 6 on ch 16. I'm wearing my Sear Sucker suit & White Bucks. It's gd 2 B a #southernboy"


Props to Susan Stabley @CBJgreennews for the above photo.

Sad that "Southern Boy" Andy Dulin doesn't know that "the Sucker Suit" Doesn't come from Sears. I know it looks like I'm picking on Dulin but I did call it to his attention via Twitter as did @underoak: "Fashion spelling tip: A seersucker suit goes with white bucks. Not Sear sucker. Thursday is the day to wear it. http://bit.ly/cstJTb #cltcc"

As did @SuziSteffen and @tommytomlinson late last week.

It's SEERSUCKER!

The fact that Andy Dulin wore white bucks with the suit can only mean one thing, Peck envy!



But Andy Dulin is no Atticus Finch!

Two Georgia Motorcyclists Go Down SCHP Looking for Hit and Run Driver

Nothing will mess up your morning like seeing two motorcyclists go down in the weeds. Unless you are one of the two riders who were forced off the road at 70 miles an hour.

Traveling east bound on I-26 Sunday morning Cedar Post's son shouts out: "OMG did you see that?"

Before I know it he's on his cell phone talking to SCHP and EMS.



What he saw was the aftermath of what could have been a fatal accident. The most seriously injured cyclist slid about 100 feet before striking two small pine trees.





The second one had a much shorter slide hitting the exit sign.



Now the surprising part. Much to our surprise both bikers are women and members of the Dream Angels Motorcycle Club. Including the club president named "Diamond". The second rider is the Club Treasurer Isis. And they both are riding "liter" bikes, not some little 600 cc liquor cycle moped either.



Speaking with Isis, she seemed really shook up and mainly concerned about her friend Diamond. Isis did say that they were riding side by side in the outside lane when a vehicle traveling next to them on the inside lane, suddenly came into their lane trying to make the exit ramp forcing them both off the road.

They were on their way from Summerville home to Augusta, Georgia when the accident happened.

Isis told us the last thing she remembered was the vehicle speeding down the interstate as they were heading for the weeds.

Cedar Posts Follow Up: Still no word on the car or truck that cut them off. A review of the motorcycle club site shows that this club is made up of professional black women. Considering the spill they both took I'd say they are not a bunch of sissy girls either. Hope they both keep riding.

On other note: Once the SCHP arrived nearly 30 mins after the call, the responding corporal showed a really bad case of "Big Hat" attitude claiming taking photos of a crime scene was illegal. Further he stated "I better not see any of your photos in the newspaper".

Cedar always polite assured the corporal that he had nothing too worry about, since there was no fatality. No point on calling the guy out, he knew he had me out gunned, but he also knew he was not talking to some local idiot or paparazzi.

All the while in the background the Sandy Ridge VFD guys are adding to their facebook page and uploading to twitter.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sunday Breakfast Grits a Must

I don't know why but grits are a must for breakfast.


Photo by the author: Original Pancake House, Southpark, Charlotte.

Coffee with Cream no Sugar, Large Grapefruit Juice, 2 Strips of Bacon, 2 Eggs Scrambled, 3 Pancakes and Grits. Perfect!

Sunday Morning is complete looking to take on the world. And it's time to run because the post church screaming children are about take my "JFG The Best Part of The Meal" away.

A special thanks to my Dad who taught me above all else, manners matter.

Happy Father's Day!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Four Mile Creek Greenway Parking Mess at Piper Glen

Mecklenburg County's Park and Recreation department along with City Traffic Engineering and the Lat Purser Company are trying to figure out how to address the parking demands for the access to the Four Mile Greenway at the corner of Rea Road and Bevington Place.

The trouble: Greenway visitors are are using the Shops at Piper Glen parking lot, which is putting a crunch on available parking for the shopping center customers.

City Traffic Engineering tried adding ten spaces earlier this year on the south side of the street, and the results were nearly catastrophic.

So now Park and Rec is thinking of building a parking lot. Trouble is it will cost about 200k. Lat Purser the shopping center owner has offered to donate 20k to the project but in the mean time they are towing cars.

So I'll offer a simpler solution:

First, the 25 available spaces are on the opposite side of the street from the Greenway. I have no idea why, except that someone wasn't thinking. So move the street side parking to the other side (south side) of the street, you know... the same side the Greenway is on! D'oh!

Second, the current spaces are parallel parking. I'm pretty sure that only 1 in 5 drivers in Charlotte can parallel park, so use angled parking instead.

Two changes simple easy and the only cost I'll guess is in the paint and labor to make some stripes, and you get all of this:

54 parking spaces on the same amount of road frontage that you had 25.

With cars parking on the park side, its safer and doesn't impede traffic.

The blind spot for cars exiting the shopping center and turning left onto Bevington is removed.

The danger of car doors opening into the street is removed.

Bonus, you also gain an additional 100+ feet of road to work with, just by changing the street side. So in theory you could put one hundred spaces.

Plus, you can always add the parking lot in the future.

Should Bevington not be wide enough for angle parking you can widen the road way by five feet without rebuilding the sidewalk.

Bonus, add parking meters to recoup future parking lot costs.

Site plan for the proposed parking lot is here:

Mecklenburg Park and Rec page for the Four Mile Greenway is here:

Friday, June 18, 2010

Details About North Charleston Mayor Bobby Kinard Death Few

Former State Representative and mayor of North Charleston Bobby Kinard has shot himself in the head during a traffic stop, while fleeing police.



Just after midnight Friday morning, a woman called police about a domestic disturbance and shooting in Mt. Pleasant. Once on scene, police found one resident of the apartment with a gunshot wound to his upper torso. A witness gave officers the description of the vehicle. The officers later spotted the vehicle and stopped it.

Former State Representative and former North Charleston Mayor Bobby Kinard was the man inside of the vehicle. Once stopped, Kinard got out, and fatally shot himself in the head or may have shot himself while still seated in his truck.

Kinard was practicing attorney for Kinard Law Firm in Mt. Pleasant. He also served as a Chief Municipal Judge for the City of North Charleston in the 1980s. He was State Representative from 1978 to 1980, and North Charleston mayor from 1991 to 1994.

The man Kinard shot Terry Portier is in stable condition at MUSC.

Reports are that Kinard came to the home of his estranged-wife and confronted the man that he has suspect his wife had been seeing over the last several months.

She had reportedly moved into the Edgewater Plantation Apartment complex 3 weeks ago.

Susan Kinard told officers responding to a shooting at her apartment that Bobby Kinard ripped her from out of bed with 50-year-old Terry Portier then shot him twice in the shoulder.

Prior to Kinard shooting Portier, the former mayor hired a private detective to follow his wife. Reports indicate that detective was present at the scene and had called Kinard to tell him what was going on.

The private detective was filming outside the apartment when the shooting happened and police say they took his statement and possession of his camera.

More Details and Susan Kinard's statement at the Post and Courier.

Update Sunday June 20, 2010

The Charleston Post and Courier add new details here. Susan Kinard blames "Post Traumatic Stress" for Mr. Kinard's anger and claims nothing was going on with her and her male friend. The Post and Courier has closed the comments section, but going by the comments posted on other newspapers around the region no one is buying Susan Kinard's story.

Hush Hush Continues re: BofA Anthrax Scare

Interesting follow up to the big law enforcement response Uptown at Bank of America Center earlier this week.



Around 1:30 Tuesday there was a massive law enforcement response to the Bank of America Corporate Center at 100 North Tryon Street. CMPD, CFD Hazmat and a couple of crown vics with blacked out windows roared up the street and filed into one of Charlotte's most notable office towers to respond to an anthrax scare.

Numerous personnel converged on the 58th floor after a 911 call posted at 1:39 Tuesday and stayed the balance of the afternoon.

Still nothing at all from The Charlotte Observer or local buzz and hummm media, but plenty of reports from out of state sources on the other packages.

Read here, here and here.

If local sources are correct a package containing "ANT BE-GONE" is what triggered the call to CMPD and others.

Props to Bill Fehr who alerted us on Tuesday and took the time to pull the police report and forward a copy to Cedar Posts.





So the question is why tno coverage in Charlotte? Shouldn't the public know about this new threat? Clearly there is some wacko out there shouldn't we be told the facts so we can smoke this perp out? What if the lack of attention makes the nut case up his/her game to the next more lethal level.

The answer may be that this sort of thing is almost a daily occurrence around the country, apparently there are a lot of people, albeit somewhat mentally unstable who are really pissed off at Bank of America, American Express, Citi Group and I'll assume even BP.

Charleston's Still Haunting Fire

3 years ago today the City of Charleston lost 9 firefighters in a text book case of why tragic accidents happen.

The needless deaths of 9 men were not one mistake or some single person's fault. The tragedy that happened on Savannah Highway the evening of June 18, 2007 was the result of a chain of compounding errors, command missteps, budget cuts, training deficiencies, poor business ethics combined with fire code violations and pure firefighter bravado.

The Sofa Super Store Fire and the deaths that occurred 3 years ago was not an accident it was a consequence of command failure and a city too obsessed with a balanced budget.

Cedar Posts prior coverage of the fire:



During the night of the Sofa Super Store fire, the crew from Engine 6 was the last out of the building. Capt. Mark Davis (left), engineer Billy Kilcoyne (center) and firefighter Thaddeus Morgan talk about their experience during the fire.

Engine 6 on the Memorial Bridge Cedar Post's conversation with CFD Captain Mark Davis five months after the fire.

Cheating Death On the one year anniversary June 17, 2008 Charleston's Post and Courier published a follow-up to the above story. "Cheating Death" writen by P&C staff writer Ron Menchaca profiled Mark Davis and Billy Kilcoyne as well as Thaddeus Morgan.

The Charleston Post and Courier's detailed coverage Mourning 9 Heros.

Cedar Post's push to build a Training Academy and Fire Station Number 9 at the site of the June 18, 2007 fire. A New Fire Station 9 for Charleston.

Firing Squad Execution Sobering, But Dramatic

Every once and a while there is a story, written and crafted so well that it begs to be shared. Jennifer Dobner with the AP has created such a story.

For the record, I'm one of only a handful of death penalty opponents in my circle of friends and family. So I'm used to getting grief when I say the death penalty is wrong. Clearly there are some people who just need killing has been my father's thoughts over the years. He's right of course, quiet a few people out there need killing. Sorry dad it is not a valid reason to support the death penalty.

My objection to the death penalty comes from 5 basic facts:

1. State sanctioned murder is wrong, thou shalt not kill the 5th commandment is the only one most of us can follow anyway. So if its not ok then why have a government that thinks otherwise?

2. The costs to try, convict, appeal, and execute someone runs into millions of dollars over decades. Hardly swift or cost effective justice.

3. Sometimes we get it wrong. 116 confirmed innocent people have been executed since 1933.

4. We the United States are the only modern country that still has a death penalty.

5. Violence begets Violence.



DRAPER, Utah The explosive reports sent a volley of .30-caliber bullets from the five marksmen into the chest of Ronnie Lee Gardner.

I was expecting to flinch but didn't as I watched his execution from the witness room.

It was so quick that for a split-second I wondered if it had actually happened.

There was no blood splattered across the white cinderblock wall at the Utah State Prison. No audible sounds from the condemned. I couldn't see his eyes. I never saw the guns and didn't hear the countdown to the trigger-pull.

A twice-convicted killer who had a troubled upbringing, the 49-year-old Gardner was executed by firing squad shortly after midnight on Friday. I was one of nine journalists selected to observe his death.

When the prison warden pulled back the beige curtain, Gardner was already strapped into a black, straight-backed metal chair. His head secured by a strap across his forehead. Harness-like straps constrained his chest. His handcuffed arms hung at his sides. A white cloth square - maybe 3 inches across - affixed to his chest over his heart bore a black target.

Seconds before the impact of the bullets, Gardner's left thumb twitched against his forefinger. When his chest was pierced, he clenched his fist. His arm pulled up slowly as if he were lifting something and then released. The motion repeated.

Although the dark blue prison jumpsuit made it difficult to see, blood seemed to be pooling around Gardner's waist.

The silence was deafening.

A medical examiner checked Gardner's pulse on both sides of his neck, then lifted the black hood to check his pupils with a flashlight, offering a brief glimpse of his now ashen face.

It was 12:17 a.m. Only two minutes had passed since the shots were fired, but it felt like things had moved in slow motion.

About an hour later, prison officials let the media inspect the chamber. There was a strong smell of bleach, but no sign of blood.

The only evidence that a man had been shot and killed there were four holes from the bullets that impaled the black wood panels behind the chair. Right to left, the distance between them a few inches.

Prison officials say Gardner willing made the 90-foot walk to the execution chamber Friday morning. That's hard to imagine, particularly from Gardner, who by his own accounts had spent much of the 30 years he was incarcerated "obsessed" with escape.

The state classifies executions as homicides. But this hadn't been like other homicides I had covered over my 15-plus years in journalism. In those instances, the media showed up after the death, not before.

This, however, was a meticulously orchestrated event with a sober, prepackaged ending.

Despite being surrounded by dozens of prison officials and witnesses, Gardner essentially died alone.

No one from his family watched him go. Nor were his attorneys present.

Similarly, Gardner chose not to utter any final thoughts or feelings.

Maybe it was his way of holding on to a small slice of privacy amid his very public death.

More:

A UK Reporter's take on the execution here.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Alvin Greene Remains Democrat's Choice

In an amazing comedy of missteps the South Carolina Democratic leadership sustained the US Senate primary victory of unknown candidate Alvin Greene.



This is without a doubt the single most insane, crazy, absurd and unbelievable event in South Carolina political history since Mark Sanford publicly swooned over his Latin "soul mate".

Alvin Greene is clearly South Carolina's Forrest Gump, a half witted, but somehow likable buffoon, who if he can get the obscenity charge dropped may give Jim DeMint a real run for his money.

Seriously how can you wage a negative campaign against someone who is clearly a few fries short of a happy meal?

There has been no official announcement on the South Carolina Democratic Party web site as of 9PM Thursday.

So follow Alvin Greene on his Go Greene! web site or on twitter where you can pick one or all of the twitter accounts pretending to be Greene, of course none are really Alvin Greene but follow one anyway because it doesn't matter, DeMint is a sure win for the Republicans in November or...... is he?

Bonus Observation: Clearly the South Carolina Democratic leadership needs a major overhaul. I would expect that Carol Fowler resign within a week and hope the party can get it's act together before the November election.

A detailed look at how Greene might have won the primary is here.

To Be Continued.

Random Thoughts and Odd Happenings

Megan Fox - Is engaged to Brian Austin Green. Again! It seems that Green popped the question and not long after that the ring was lost.



An eyewitness stated: “I saw her jumping up and down,”. The proposal happened on the beach near the Four Seasons in Hawaii. The witness also reported that “Later, I saw a half dozen staff sifting through the sand.”

The 2-carat ring is still MIA.



POTUS - claims he is in charge of the BP Gulf Disaster, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Resources are overwhelmed, US Coast Guard seems to be in the "Stop the leak, then we'll clean it up" frame of mind and no one really knows how bad it is. Even local authorities are overly focused on oil that washes up on the beach vs the oil that is out there. Even Gulf Coast residents are taking a "Hurricane Mentality" they know it is out there but its not a worry until it gets here.

I've got some bad news for the Gulf, ITS HERE! How bad is it? How bad will it get? Think Chernobyl. In fact terrorists couldn't have hoped for a better disaster. If an asteroid struck the gulf it would not be worse. You have no idea how bad this is the entire Gulf Coast from Brownsville to Tampa millions of people have one common asset. Clear Blue Water! Without it they are BLEEPED!

BP Public Relations - OMG this will be text book for decades to come. The "Small People" comment was the last straw. I'd suggest shorting the stock but something tells me and US and UK govs will bail them out.

Tiger Woods - Look for another sad performance and early exit from the once great golfer as Phil Mickelson takes aim at the Number 1 spot in the world rankings. Why does Phil remind me of Goofy the dog or is it Scooby Doo?

Susan Burgess - Passed away Wednesday. The long time political icon served the City of Charlotte well. Suggestion for the over the top Mayor Foxx and the Charlotte Observer enough of the eulogy already and having flags across the city lowered to half staff for a week is just all kinds of wrong.

Trace Adkins - Gave the commencement address at Piedmont High School. Now really how cool is that?



Zuzuzela - I swear I tried to watch the World Cup matches, but there is no way I'm watching paint dry for 2 hours while my ears are pounded non stop by the ultra annoying zuzuzelas. Note to CIA water boarding has nothing on Soccer Fans armed with Zuzuzelas!

Massive Law Enforcement Response - Anyone notice the big show at the BOA Corporate Center 100 North Tryon Street? CMPD, CFD Hazmat and a couple of crown vics with blacked out windows? Sources tell Cedar Posts that all personnel converged on the 58th floor after a 911 call posted at 1:39 Tuesday and stayed the balance of the afternoon.

Nothing at all from the UpRoar or local talking heads, but plenty of reports from out of state sources on the other packages. Read here, here and here.

If local sources are correct a package containing "ANT BE-GONE" triggered the call to CMPD and others. Props to Bill Fehr for keeping CP in the uptown loop.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Classic Father's Day Tweet

Is from Charlotte City Council Member Edwin B. Peackock the III.

@EdwinPeacockIII: Celebrating my son's 7th b-day! Just watched old videos of him at birth. 8:58 PM Jun 10th via mobile web

and then:

@EdwinPeacockIII: At Morrocroft Urgentcare. My son has just learned how NOT to use his new birthday pocket knife. 7:42 PM Jun 11th via mobile web

OUCH!



Cedar's Take-Away:

I guess that pulls the plug on the "Red Ryder" BB Gun for Christmas at the Peacock house?

I really hate it when my crew gets injured on one of the boats. It's not the sight of blood that bothers me its all the damn screaming and hollering. Be careful of there!

Black Boys Charleston Circa 1865

The black boys sitting around a column in the days after Union Forces claimed Charleston look nothing like the photo offered by the AP and Charlotte Observer.



If you thought the civil war was civil think again. This is Meeting Street 1865. And below another look at the destruction of Charleston.



The Mills House in the background on the right and on the left the steeple of St. Michael's Episcopal Church.

Slaves in the Family - But Not in The Observer

When the Charlotte Observer first ran the photo of two impoverished black children with an over the top story of the horrors of slavery, I frankly was offended.

I've lived in the Carolina's all of my life, and I know poverty, and I've known black folks who were only one generation removed from slavery. They never held a grudge or even the slightest bit of resentment. In fact while living in poverty and doing without much of what I took for granted at the time, they were pretty happy group of people.

My parents bought a farm in Waxhaw in 1973, the black family who lived on the farm as care takers lived in a house that was built in the 1930's.

As a young boy I was surprised to learn that the people who lived on the farm were not only poor but they used an outhouse, and while the property had a well the running water went only as far as the back porch. The house had no heat, or hot water.

The family had lived on the farm since before the civil war, their original home was down by the creek and still stood, though barely in 1973. When the owner of the farm passed away in 1967 the black family moved into the main house. The farm stopped operations the next year, but with no where else to go the black family stayed on.

So in 1973 the last threads of slavery were alive and well just a few miles from Charlotte.

From slaves to share croppers to squatters they stayed on.

My father for all practical purposes had bought a farm complete with a family of what would once had been considered slaves. They simply came with the property.

I was too young to recognize the quandary at the time. My father bought a farm and much to his surprise he was stuck with a family of 9 descendants of slaves. He kept them on for a couple of years and finally convinced them that they should get a real house up the road.

They joined the 20th century reluctantly, because as they explained the farm was home.

I wasn't there when they moved off the property, but I would guess it was a pretty sad day.

My father owned the farm until 1989, when he sold the property to a doctor who tore down the main house, and what we had called the "slave quarters" either for lack of better term or because as kids we saw everything is the simplest of terms.

We lived in Charlotte, in an air conditioned home with running water and a bathroom for every bedroom. 16 miles away just outside of Waxhaw young black children ran through fields in bare feet. Much like the young boys in The Observer's photo.

But their world as I saw it was not one of suffering but of joy, and the exuberance of youth. I suspect that many of those between the days of outright slave ownership and the days of sharecroppers lived life on the cheap. But having seen life in the first person and knowing how life really was I'm offended that someone would take an old photo and make a statement regarding the horrors of slavery.

To embellish and sensationalize a photo as "evidence" of some sort of holocaust that has occurred is just all sorts of wrong.

The Charlotte Observer has since noted that the photo may not be all the it has been purported to be, but not until after they ran an editorial titled "haunting photo of young slaves can open our eyes" condemning slavery and again trying to make a statement.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Slave Children Photo is a Hoax?




In a grand ponzi like scheme members of the press and media nationwide were bilked into telling the tragic story of long forgotten slave children.

The fraud started with a New York collectibles dealer Keya Morgan looking to "cash in" on an attic sale find. Morgan claimed he paid $30,000.00 for a rare photo showing slave children in North Carolina.

The story of that find was propelled to national attention by Nicole Norfeet an Associated Press writer by using words like, haunting, shocking, victim, abused and whipped.

Ms. Norfeet's story quotes fictional "Art historians" and experts claiming that the photo shows a slave known only as John who was sold for $1,150.00.

Morgan continues to sensationalize the photo by saying:

"This kid was abused and mistreated and people forgot about him," Morgan said. "He doesn't even exist in history. And to know that there were a million children who were like him. I've never seen another photo like that that speaks so much for children."

It turns out the photo was actually taken in the late 1870's much like the other photos in Cedar's prior story which is here.

The photo is also not rare as it is part of the New York public library's on line collection which you can see here.

The true value of the photo is around $15.00, at least that is what the photo sold for on eBay.

And according to USA Today photos of black children were very common place in the 1900's. Just as Cedar Post's suggested.

Cedar's Update:

As other bloggers research the photo, more interesting facts come into focus. "Walking the Berkshires" notes that the foliage in the background is clearly banana trees, and yes we have no bananas in the Carolina's

Before it's News takes the CSI level of discovery to a new level of detail, with facts about the photographic processes used during the 1850's vs 1870's and later. While not for those who suffer from ADD it maybe the best scientific proof that the claim of rare and historic is unfounded.

Cedar's Correction:

Above I referred to "fictional "Art Historians" and "Experts".

Will Stapp, is a photographic historian and founding curator of the National Portrait Gallery's photographs department at the Smithsonian Institution.

Harold Holzer, an author of several books about Lincoln. Holzer works as an administrator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ron Soodalter, an author and member of the board of directors at the Abraham Lincoln Institute in Washington, D.C.

Messers Stapp, Holzer and Soodalter are hardly fictional, however in this case their title as experts and art historians and their collective judgement is pure fiction.

Props to Hank Trent for pointing out my major gaffe.

Update December 30, 2010: More than six months after this photo first made its way around the media circus it is springing up again. A recent story regard in Confederate encrypted message has this story on the tag line. See Slave Children Appear in Rare Photo.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Priceless Tweet of the Week!

Leave it to CN2's @kokomodianne aka Dianne Gallagher to offer up the following "tweet" giving insight to what some of us have already noticed: "Received bridesmaid dress. Ordered 5 sizes too big to fit bust. Falling off me. Alterations may cost more than the already expensive dress"

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge Goes Nuts!

In another nice reflection on Carolina politics, North Carolina's own Bob Etheridge gets aggressive with a couple of college students. Maybe he felt threaten by their odd attire, after all it is not often you see college students wearing suits and ties.



Mr. Etheridge made a formal apology on Monday afternoon, while his supporters continued to claim he was "baited" into the confrontation.

Clearly Mr. Etheridge should be censured for this conduct but I would expect the Democrat controlled house will just sweep this event under the rug.

All I can say is: "Hey Bob, give me a call I'll help you clean out your office".

You too can help Bob Etheridge feel the love, contact him via email here: http://etheridge.house.gov/ContactForm/

You'll have to enter the following zip code: 27546 + 1342

Maybe suggest a little anger management or a home study course PR101 which would tell him never ever touch the lens!