Now This is a Royal Wedding Cake

The detail is amazing.



The wedding cake, designed by Fiona Cairns, is made from 17 individual fruit cakes (12 of which form the base) and has eight tiers. The cake has been decorated with cream and white icing using the Joseph Lambeth technique. There are up to 900 individually iced flowers and leaves of 17 different varieties decorated on the cake. A garland design around the middle of the cake matches the architectural garlands decorated around the top of the Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace, the room in which the cake will be displayed. The chocolate biscuit cake was created by Mcvitie’s Cake Company using a Royal Family recipe at the special request of Prince William.

The Joseph Lambeth Method is derived from a style of decorating that was popular in England where chefs and decorators would use intricate piping to create 3-D scrollwork, leaves, flowers, and other decorations on a cake. A cake decorated in the Lambeth Method and accented with fresh fruit or flowers is the wedding cake of choice for anyone who wants a traditional looking, elegant wedding cake.
Each of the 17 different flower designs on the official wedding cake has their own individual meaning according to the Language of Flowers. They include:

•White Rose - National symbol of England
•Daffodil – National symbol of Wales, new beginnings
•Shamrock – National symbol of Ireland
•Thistle – National symbol of Scotland
•Acorns, Oak Leaf – Strength, endurance
•Myrtle – Love
•Ivy – Wedded Love, Marriage
•Lily-of-the-Valley – Sweetness, Humility
•Rose (Bridal) – Happiness, Love.
•Sweet William – Grant me one smile
•Honeysuckle – The Bond of Love
•Apple Blossom – Preference, Good Fortune
•White Heather – Protection, Wishes will come true
•Jasmine (White) – Amiability
•Daisy – Innocence, Beauty, Simplicity
•Orange Blossom – Marriage, Eternal Love, Fruitfulness
•Lavender – ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck.

April 27, 2011 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al

4-27-11 Tornado Tuscaloosa, Al from Crimson Tide Productions on Vimeo.

White House Releases President Obama's Birth Certificate

Is Andy Dulin is Developer's Yes Man?

You betcha!

WBTV reports the following:

Residents in the SouthPark area of Charlotte, who were fighting a developer over a large tree-filled lot, have lost the battle.

On Monday night, Charlotte leaders unanimously voted to let a developer cut down trees in SouthPark.

Crescent Resources wants to take down the trees off Fairview Road so it can build a new 350-unit high rise apartment building.

Many neighbors were against the project...saying it would destroy one of the last green spaces left in the SouthPark area.

Neighbors were not against the development, but wanted to find a compromise that would have kept the bulk of the trees.

Cedar Posts thinking is that the vote was not unanimous with Mayor Foxx and Jason Burgess voting against. Correction: Susan Stabley who attends most of these meetings advises that the vote to approve was indeed unanimous, Foxx and Burgess voted against the McD's drive thur at Quail Corners.

In the past the city council had sided with residents and the developer had agreed to keep the buffer of trees in place as recently as 2004 when Crescent and Lincoln Harris promised not to clear-cut the trees. In exchange, neighbors agreed not to oppose Piedmont Town Center when it was originally developed.

Then in 2008, Crescent Resources and Lincoln Harris tried to have the property site plan amended, the changes calling for the mature woods to be removed for a retention pond. The request was killed when Crescent and Lincoln gave into neighbors demands that the project save the trees. Council voted to deney the change.

See Susan Stabley's most recent post here and the one from 2008 here.

But leave it to Charlotte City Council's court jester to twist the facts and cloud the issues.

On Sunday Andy Dulin tweeted a reply to a Letter to the Editor in the Sunday Paper, saying:

The Observer Forum: Letters to the Editor http://t.co/SvcQQeu Read down 4 the @adulin mention. 90% of this site is gravel already. #cltcc

As you can see from the aerial photo the site is at least 50% old growth forest.



Then Monday afternoon Andy Dulin tweeted the following to Susan Stabley:

@adulin Andy Dulin @CBJgreennews Susan, have you really looked at those trees? I just went back to make triple sure. Its low and a Poison Ivy patch. #cltcc

Does this look like "Poison Ivy" to you?




Cedar's take away:

First a promise from City Council or Developers means absolutely zip, zero, zilch. Once the camel gets his head in the tent the rest is soon to follow. Once the property was re-zoned all the developer had to do was ask for a site plan amendment.

Beside Andy Dulin's straight out mis-truths and lies, he lead the charge making the motion to approval both the Crescent and Crossland zoning requests.

Andy Dulin whose your daddy?

Chief Monroe Please Step Away From The Microphone!

With all due respect to the man's position, the uniform and badge that he wears, would someone please keep Rodney Monroe away from the microphone.

Because this is how he is perceived.

Totally unfreaking professional.



Often Cedar Posts is the lone voice against Chief Monroe's actions, yesterday the list of those appalled at his mid-day presser was long and distinguished.

Jeff Taylor who pens "The Meck Deck" blog:

First up, CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe at his presser yesterday:

This was a random act of violence…

Then Chief Monroe seconds later:

He was looking for someone to rob in that area. …Unfortunately, Mr. Barber came along.

So then CMPD does not believe Chauncey Sterling, 18, acted randomly in making his way to a wealthy section of Charlotte before approaching a solitary, distinguished-looking older gentleman with the intent of forcibly taking valuables from him.

More from Jeff Taylor here

WBT Radio's Keith Larson noted that Chief's jovial behavior at the press conference. Walking to the microphone Chief Monroe jokes with reporters that "it's ok to say good morning". The audio is here at the top of the Larson page. And Larson's rant here.

Interesting WSOC edits out the chief's initial exchange but fails to edit out the never ending uhh's that litter his statement which is here and during his follow up questions which is here.

Later yesterday Tara Servatius noted the obvious gang connection to Chauncey Sterling and his numerous posts on MySpace and FaceBook (Since Removed) lamenting his need for money.



The most amazing comment added to the Cedar Posts report of Sterling's arrest is this:

Anonymous said...

Chauncey does not come from a line of losers.
His older brother is a college graduate who
owns a home and has a family. His older sister
is currently working full-time to pay her way
through college. His grandmother was a college
graduate and a teacher. Most of his aunts and
uncles (there were a total of 11) were college
graduates as well. There are too many cousins
to list that also has college education and
degrees and many many many accomplishments.

April 26, 2011 7:57 PM

A follow-up comment noted that with all that success not one of Sterling's family stepped up to, individually or collectively hire a lawyer. Either not much of a family or not much of a success.

Cedar's Take: Good Point! Why should we have to pay for a public defender if Chauncey Sterling's family is so well off?

Add Chauncey Sterling's MySpace Page to his list of accomplishments as his page earned a nice award yesterday:

Chauncey Sterling just earned the In The Spotlight badge


In The Spotlight

Because your photos are earning quite a bit of attention

The Jerry Orr Interview: CDIA Planes, Trains, Taxicabs and Morgan

Charlotte Aviation director Jerry Orr recently granted an interview to a small group of reporters, one from the local paper, two from radio and television news and yours truly.



And so it goes that I had the rare privilege of sitting down with Jerry Orr at his office the other day.

Orr's office is impressive, neat as a pin with views of the main concourse and beyond the ramp area between terminals A and C. The first thing I noticed was all the crayon drawings of stick and one dimensional airplanes. I mistakenly assumed they were the handy work of his grand son, I was wrong; the crayon art work is his.

A transcript of the interview follows:

Local Paper (LP): Mr. Orr thank you for taking the time to meet with us.

Orr: Where is Morgan? I want her to sit down in front just like she did for that football guy what’s his name.

Local Television News (LTN): Ahhh Mr. Orr... She wasn't invited.

Orr: Who are you and where’s Morgan? This is my airport I say who comes to these meetings!

Cedar Posts (CP): (Trying my best to diffuse the situation) She'll be here; she's just running a little late.

Orr: That's better (at this point Orr picks up a crayon and begins to hummm airplane noises rhythmically as he scribbles on a sheet of white paper.



LTN: How many passengers used the airport last year?

Orr: A bunch, a big ole bunch.

CP: Are you concerned that the redacted Tisdale Report creates more questions than it provides answers?

Orr: Tisdale, Tisdale, I've heard that name before. You know airplanes are dangerous things. I can't imagine why someone would climb into an airplane just before it takes off and later fall out of that same airplane splat! (Makes dramatic airplane sounds and smacks the conference table making splat sound.)

CP: Back in 2009 you told the advisory committee that there were 300 hundred cameras around the airport, is that true?

Orr: (Looking as notes) We have a whole bunch. (Holds his arms out to make a point)

Local Radio (LR): Do the gates have cameras?

Orr: Yes, each gate is monitored by a camera

LP: How many cameras are in the terminal?

Orr: A bunch, we monitor each gate inside and all the TSA screening stations.

CP: Since the airport has 91 gates with cameras both inside and out that leaves another 118 cameras to watch the parking decks ticket counters, TSA and baggage claim, are there any cameras watching the fences?

Orr: Yes

CP: How many?

Orr: A whole big bunch many!

LR: Could you give us an exact number?

Orr: Silence

LTN: Please?

Orr: You didn’t say pretty please.

LTN: Pretty Please.

Orr: Well, I am really not supposed to let you know this but they are more like virtual cameras.

LR: How does a virtual camera make the airport secure?

Orr: Here let me draw you a picture (Picks up crayon and draws a video camera) See here is one of our cameras. It's a virtual camera, but it still counts. So there you are now we have 301 cameras. You want me to draw another? We'll have 302!

LTN: Wow that’s amazing! He can just draw a camera and its there.

CP: (To LTN) You’re kidding me, right?

LR: What changes are you planning to make at the airport in light of the Tisdale Report?

Orr: Changes? We don't need changes, except to them damn taxicabs! I want them out of here. Do you know what most of those drivers do? They just sit out there at the cab stand, play domino's and pinochle all day, the place is nothing more than a damn club house. (Now drawing pictures of Taxicabs, picks up red crayon and draws flames coming from taxi.)

CP: Why limit the number of taxicab companies?

Orr: (Stops drawing and retracts tongue) we have 16 companies that serve the Airport. Haven't you noticed, none of our cabs look alike? We have everything from Geo Metros to Crown Victoria's. It means the arrivals area of the terminal is a rainbow of colors. I want all the colors the same. (At this point Orr shows reporters a fist full of crayons.) I want everything to match, the type of vehicles, quality of vehicles, colors of vehicles, they are all different colors like my pens.

LTN: Mr. Orr, Sir, those are crayons you are holding up.

Orr: Damn it! Where are my pens? Someone stole my pens!

CP: So what's the plan?

Orr: Ummmmm Hold on let me get my notes, I need my damn glasses.

LR: Mr. Orr your glasses are on top of your head.

At this point Orr gets serious, puts his glasses down to his nose, flips over his most recent crayon airplane drawing and prepares to read from a prepared script.

Orr: OK so what was your question?

CP: What is your plan regarding the taxicabs?

Orr: Hold on.... ok here we go. We want to raise the bar on the taxi service here at the Airport. We want the drivers to be uniformed and speak English and you can't wear a damn turban either!

LTN: How many passengers did the airport serve last year?

Orr: Sorry that is not on my list.

LTN: Could you guess?

Orr: Let's see a big old bunch divided by a bunch more and I'd say a lot.

CP: About the taxicabs?

Orr: Right, now back to the damn taxicabs, there are about 600 taxi drivers in the City of Charlotte. There are 144 that I have licensed to serve the Airport. We want to require newer model cars with GPS dispatch and navigation in the vehicle. We want GPS fare calculation. And uniforms!

CP: Can you legally require them to wear uniforms?

Orr: (Looking over his reading glasses and speaking in a low but ever increasing voice) Under the City Code, the Aviation Director, that's me, can set the rules and regulations for ground transportation services. So that means what I say F-ing goes! Where's Morgan?

CP: She's trying to find a place to park.

LR: So you can already make these requirements?

Orr: Yes. Under the City Ordinance, the Aviation Director can establish rules and regulations that govern taxi service at the Airport. If it is less than a one year contract it doesn’t require Council’s approval. Get it? So its all mine, mine mine mine.

LR: How much guidance does the Charlotte City Council or City Manager Provide you?

Orr: Look I don't mess with them and they don't mess with me, I'm out here doing my thing they have no idea what we are doing or a clue how much debt we are floating out here. We have more growth and development here at the airport than anywhere else in the city. Do you see wants going on?

LTN: You mean all the projects and expansion?

ORR: Hell no, out there (Points to a baggage cart that has turned over spilling a dozen suitcases and their contents on to the tarmac)

LTN: Oh my Goodness, that's terrible.

ORR: I've got to get a picture of this (Fumbles with his smart phone, finally gets it to flash taking an out of focus photo of himself.)

LR: So what is the term of the contracts with the taxicab companies?

Orr: 363 days.

LP: Seems rather short? Why 363?

Orr: Well we wanted 3 year contracts, but the damn city council has to approve any contract longer than a year. So problem fixed 363 day contracts.

LR: So what is wrong with having 16 taxicab companies? You know free market and all that?

Orr: We do not intend to have 16 separate contracts which is impossible to administer. My staff aren't rocket scientists, you know. Back in 1989, we had what was called an open agreement where we would enter into an operating agreement with any company that wanted to serve the Airport, but limit the number of permits. Then the City started regulating the taxicabs, stepping all over my turf, so they adopted a Passenger for Hire Ordinance in 2000. But in 1989, we had four companies with 60 permits here at the Airport.

Today we have 16 companies with 144 permits.

CP: That doesn't seem like a big increase considering the growth in Charlotte, so what is the issue?

LTN: How many passengers did the airport service last year?

CP: (To Local Television) You already asked that question.

LTN: I know I'm just checking my facts.

Orr: A bunch, no make that a really big bunch.

Orr: The Issue? The Issue is it’s out of control. What has happened is some company owners established additional companies to get more permits. Then company owner then sold those permits to an independent operators for more than we charge the owner. They are making a killing reselling our permits.

LR: Sounds like a loop hole in the current regulations, what else is going on?

Orr: Loop hole its a wide open circus, these companies go out and sell it twice and tell one driver he can pick-up on certain days and then sell the permit again and tell him he can only serve the airport on the other days. In our new rules and regulations, we will limit the amount of money the owner can charge an operator for the permit.

CP: Are there any back ground checks on the drivers or companies?

Orr: No answer (Orr stares at plane as it taxis on the ramp. Begins to pretend cell phone is an aircraft radio, making radio static noise and sound of jet engines.)

LTN: Is there anything on the taxi to tell you if they are authorized?

Orr: Yes, there is a sticker. (Mumbles something about not being able to find his stickers)

LR: How easy would it be to make fake copies of the stickers?

Orr: No Answer (Continues to look for stickers)

LR: Mr. Orr?

Orr: (Looking under the table) I’m looking for my stickers! (pokes his head above table)

LR: They are on the left. No, your left. The other way. No, over there. Look next to your coffee!

Orr: It’s not coffee its Metamucil.

LP: What if a taxi in Gastonia wants to deliver someone to the Airport, can they?

Orr: Why would they want to do that?

CP: Because….

Orr: Yes, they can deliver. They can pick-up, but must pay a fee to do so. See I'm all about the fees. I'm going to be collecting fees out here for the next 50 years. Concession fees, landing fees, gate fees, I'm even going to start charging the TSA fees.

CP: What do the taxi drivers have to say about all of this?

Orr: They love it! It's a great idea. Well they do complain about one thing the black cars. You know Town Cars and Limos. The reason people use the black cars is they look nice, there are shiny and black and the drivers wear a nice uniforms.

We want that same service for the taxis and we want everyone in uniforms just like the TSA. But more like the CMPD command staff. With “pith helmets” in the summer and berets and black and striped shirts in the winter just like the chandeliers in Paris.

LTN: They are in Venice and they are Gondoliers, I'm pretty sure. But I need to check my facts.

Orr: Whatever!

LP: So what is your long term goal?

Orr: Our goal is high quality vehicles, high quality service and quality drivers. Vehicles will have to be no older than three years when they enter into service and they can stay in service no longer than three years. We don’t want any damn six year old cars at the airport.

Orr: By the time the convention gets here, we need to have an improved system. We will catch a lot of flack if we don’t make some improvements.

CP: What other changes are you making at CDIA?

Orr: Well for one thing we are getting rid of that damn statue.

LP: You mean the famed Queen Charlotte statue?

Orr: Hell yes that rusty old woman is going to the trash pile, never made any sense to me and people ask too many questions about it, and I hate questions.

CP: What will replace the statue?

Orr: Five new lanes of traffic. We have three now and I want eight.

LR: Isn't that an unnecessary increase?

Orr: Hell no...... we are going to build the terminal out adding another 90 feet to the front of the terminal. So I’ll have room for more cattle lines. The TSA is bringing in new equiptment to screen carry on baggage and it's 25% slower. And since the airlines started charging for checked bagagge we've had a 75% increase in carry on suitcases. So we are going to double the area to wait in line to get through security.

LR: The TSA is bringing equiptment that is 25% slower?

ORR: Yep, and that why we will soon take over screening and charge the TSA for that as well, more fees!

CP: What about the air/truck/train inter-module facility?

Orr: I love trains whoooo whoooo (Chugging and making steam engine sounds around his office) Don't you?

LTN: I love trains.

CP: How many trucks do you expect will use the facility each day?

Orr: 500 maybe more.

LTN: I love trucks too.

CP: Are you supporting a light rail system that would stop at the airport? And does Charlotte’s growth justify light rail?

Orr: Yes. But “justifies light rail” is an oxymoron because no light rail pays for itself, so it’s subsidized. I don’t know of any major city that has a light rail system where it doesn’t go to the international airport.

LP: The Charlotte City Council…

Orr: (Interrupting) I don’t even know who’s on the city council. But I can tell you we are going to have a light rail system because we’ve designed our roadway entrance system to accommodate that.

And we’ll do it one of two ways. It will come down the middle of Wilkinson or the railroad right away. We will even have a line that would go through Belmont and Gastonia. We would have a station where our Business Valet parking deck is located and transfer to a vehicle that would get you to the terminal. Hell the airport would have the terminal and it would follow the new road loop. The new road loop really facilitates that because it comes in at point and makes a big loop.

Orr: Where’s Morgan?

LTN: Mr. Orr why do you keep asking about Morgan?

Orr: Do you always talk with your hands? You know that's annoying as hell?

Orr: Well, thank you for coming I have to go now. (At this point two men in white coats wheel Jerry Orr clutching his crayons down the hall and around a corner).

I had an interesting day meeting Mr. Jerry Orr. Even more interesting he left behind one of his crayons “Wild Blue Yonder”.

Phylicia Barnes Death Not a Murder?

Was Phylicia Barnes death an accident?


Susquehanna River and Conowingo Dam Photo Credit: David Hobby

Baltimore police sources say there are no apparent signs of trauma on either body recovered late last week.

Experts note that drowning victims are more likely to sink than victims of foul play. Given the water temp death may have been in December and not until recently did the temperature increase to a point to cause bacteria to grow, causing the bodies to bloat and come to the surface.

Given the fact that both Ms. Barnes and the male victim were both completely nude and discovered at the same time police now admit that there may be a connection.

One source pointed out that he has never been aware of an incident in which two bodies were found in the same area on the same day. “It really is strange,” but “It may well be a sad coincidence.”

But some experts don't agree.

“They’re not just random bodies that happened to come together at this location, you just don’t find bodies popping up one after the next unless they hit the water at the same time.”

One theory in play is that a romantic alcohol or drug fueled encounter simply led to some poor choices, an accident and hypothermia followed by drowning.

Maryland State Police were seen checking several boat landings on Sunday perhaps in search of male victim's car. However State Police Dive Team often uses the river for training purposes.



This is a developing story and is subject to wide changes as more facts are known.

A Photo Essay Blog with photos of the area made during the last four months is here.

Cedar Posts Update:

The man's body found near the corpse of teenager Phylicia Barnes was identified today and police believe the second body has no connection to the girl's death.

The body of Darryl Harper, 53, of Richmond, Va., was discovered in the Susquehanna River last Wednesday hours after Maryland state troopers found Barnes' body three miles up the same river.

Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley told ABC News there is no known connection between Harper and Barnes.

"He had his own troubles and issues," Shipley said.

Forensics matched fingerprints from Harper's body with prints entered in a missing persons database.

Harper's wife told police her husband left Richmond in early March, and she reported him missing on April 15. Harper had checked himself into a hospital in Harrisburg, Pa., on the Susquehanna River on March 25 and requested help with mental health issues. Harper stayed in the hospital one night.

According to his wife, Harper made suicide threats to a relative in March, and he previously attempted suicide in 2006.

Cedar's Take:

So that completely blows my above theory out of the water!

So how are these people getting naked? And who knows what happened to Ms. Barnes?

The waiting game continues.

Chauncey Sterling Arrested in the Murder of Dr. Robert Barber

According to WBT Radio 18-year-old Chauncey Sterling was arrested Sunday night in Rock Hill. Sterling has been charged with the murder and robbery of Robert Latimer Barber on Friday Morning in South Charlotte.

Sterling is being held in South Carolina, while awaiting extradition.

Bob Barber, 64, was shot and killed Friday morning. He was a retired Air Force Reserve colonel and the director of financial services for Carolinas HealthCare. He was killed a little after 10 a.m. Friday while walking home on Mullens Ford Road in the Foxcroft East neighborhood. He had just had coffee with his wife at Caribou Coffee on Fairview Road.

Police worked throughout the weekend, interviewing neighbors and employees at the Caribou Coffee shop, among others. They released few details during the investigation and only gave a vague description of the suspect.

Sterling was taken into custody Sunday at 10:05 p.m. at 285 Fargo Street in Rock Hill by CMPD's VCAT unit. The Rock Hill Police Department and York County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest, Fey said

Sterling is being held in South Carolina, while awaiting extradition.


Photo From Chauncey Sterling's facebook page.


Photo From Chauncey Sterling's facebook page.

Sterling's most recent post to his facebook wall:

u knw lately i been n dis zone like i dnt give a fuck n everything around me but i was built n made to complete a task dat is to get rich hustle or die bitch

And below some of Sterling's friends doing the gangster thug thing.



Update 12:05PM

Chief Monroe gave a short statement and then answered questions from the local press during a mid day presser:

At the press conference on Monday, Chief Monroe was asked why a Rock Hill resident would be on a south Charlotte residential street.

"He had relatives who live in the area near where the robbery took place," he replied.

According to the "Local Paper" The CMPD chief said tips from the public helped lead investigators to Sterling. He said detectives worked nonstop Friday and Saturday, and they received "several important pieces of information" late Saturday or early Sunday. Monroe indicated some of the information came from Sterling's relatives.

"I believe people will do the right thing, no matter how close they are to a situation," he said.

"I cannot emphasize how important the information from the public was in bringing closure to this case," Monroe added.

Check out Chauncey Sterling's MySpace Page here.

An Easter Story

I posted the following story in 2007 it received not one comment back then, so it must be pretty bad. But its Easter Sunday and its my show so here it is again!

Years back, when Charlotte was a lot smaller and the pace of life a lot slower, an Easter Sunrise Service was held at Providence High School.

As the headlights of two hundred or so cars streamed into the parking lot, the crimson and purple hues of the sun's first rays began to touch the far eastern corners of the Carolina horizon, while birds sang in wonderful orchestra we call nature.



It's not hard to see the hand of God on Easter Sunday in the Carolina's. Azaleas, Dogwoods, rainbow colors of flowers all in bloom and Carolina blue skies which might explain the large number of churches in the Carolinas. I think there are 87 on the Charleston Peninsula alone, I know there are twice that many in Charlotte and the biggest of which is Calvary.

Standing at the corner of Rea Road and Highway 51, Calvary is so big that it's pipe organ is second in size only to that of the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. It is a big church, so big it has escalators to the two balconies.



The church was once painted a somewhat a dull shade of pink and, was nick named by members and non-members as "The Pink Church" or the "Mary Kay Cathedral". Calvary was founded by Dr. Ross Rhodes who at the time of this Easter sunrise service was senior pastor.

Charlotte is of course the well known home to the famous preacher Dr. Billy Graham, and a close second to Billy Graham is Dr. Rhodes. I think Ross. Rhodes could make a believer out of Satan if given the chance.

My grandmother used to tell us to sit up straight in church so that God knew we were paying attention. On this Easter Sunday, the frosty cold aluminum bleachers of Providence High School Football Stadium made certain we were all paying attention.

The hot coffee and warm biscuits from Bojangles that the Calvary volunteers handed out, helped ease the chill but it was so cold, that I soon began to plot an exit back to my car.

I'm a morning person, most of the time and I love to watch the sunrise. Cold on the other hand I'm not nearly as fond of, so I thanked my sister who was kind enough to bring an extra blanket to sit on.

Before the small choir had finished the second verse of the first hymn, my biscuit was cold and my coffee gone.

In the faint half light of the early dawn Dr. Rhodes rose from his seat and walked over to the podium, for all practical purposes it was still dark.

His sermon was simple….. his first words where.....

"He Has Risen!"

And with that voices came to life through the gathered crowd as these words were repeated and rose on wisps of steam from our breath which filled the cold morning air.

Dr. Rhodes continued….

"Now if this had just happened today, on this Sunday morning, we would have proof! There would be satellite trucks, and news media everywhere. Larry King would be live with eyewitnesses to interview, and there would be full page photo spreads in USAToday, the New York Times and the Charlotte Observer. There would be a "film at eleven" on television that would show the massive stone rolled aside and for the next forty days Jesus himself would hold press conferences right up until ascension.

And he would tell the world: "Hey, I'm back for I have risen!"

"But, because this single event occurred nearly 2000 years ago we don't have a film at eleven, but we do have eyewitness accounts and interviews with the Larry King of the day Mark, and his interview is right here".

And as he spoke those words, Dr. Rhodes held up his bible the one he has carried for nearly 40 years and proclaimed.

"It says right here…" HE HAS RISEN!

With that a flock of Canada Geese flew over head no more than a dozen feet above the bleachers, winging their way no doubt to eternity and just as suddenly the sun rose above the horizon and bathed the bleachers in wonderful light and warmth that you could feel all the way through to your soul.

And I have got to tell ya ... I don't know how Ross Rhodes pulled it off but his timing was perfect. Within an instant the chill in the air was gone as a new day had begun.

Now years later Dr. Rhodes message, and that Easter sunrise service is still a very vivid memory.

Dr. Rhodes' message has always been simple… "Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved" Period!

No fancy church or nearly drowning style of baptism, pilgrimage to Mecca, or giving up a certain amount of your paycheck, no course of study, no special communion, no specific number of Sunday school sessions or bible study attendance required, just one simple thing.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved" - Just Believe!

OK I'm done preaching now go color those chickens.

Mid Morning Shooting and Death On a Quiet South Charlotte Street

Photo Credit: Diedra Laird The Local Paper

Good Friday's weather was fittingly overcast with intermittent rain. The reduced amount of traffic and a post rush hour start to the holiday weekend ahead made a stop at Caribou Coffee an easy choice for Robert Barber and his wife Deborah. A choice that less that an hour later would become tragic.

Police say that Dr. Barber and his wife went to Caribou Coffee on Fairview Road Friday morning. Barber's wife then drove to work and Barber elected to walk to his home, on Dunwick Place, just off of Carmel Road and a little more than two and a half miles away.

Mullens Ford Road is a locally known short cut to the small Foxcroft East neighborhood shopping center. The road runs behind the immaculately groomed athletic fields of Charlotte Country Day School and ends at Carmel road.

Dt. Barber left the Foxcroft East shopping center and began his walk home carrying his newspaper and coffee. He made his way along the sidewalk of Simsbury Road and then a short while later turned left on to Mullens Ford. The lawns of well maintained 500 thousand dollar homes and a nearly continuous canopy of oak and maple trees would provide a pleasant shelter from the rain.

As he walked past a group of apartments, where the sidewalk ends he may have noticed a young black man shadowing him, but probably gave the young man little thought as the rain increased and he stepped carefully over puddles of rain in the curbside gutters and into the street.

By the time Dr. Barber reached the corner of Mullens Ford and Manor Mill Road the black man had caught up to him.

Around 10:30 Police officers respond to a call on Mullens Ford Road and a report of shots fired. What they found was the body of 64 year old Robert Latimer Barber face down on the pavement dead of an apparent gunshot wound.

They soon learned the man they found dead was the director of financial services at Carolinas HealthCare, that he had a doctorate in health care administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, and had retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel.

Dr. Barber's newspaper was still in his hand.

Police quickly wrapped the area in crime scene tape and officers talked in groups among themselves and interviewed neighbors in pairs. Deputy Police Chief Harold Medlock leaded against the street sign marking the corner of Mullens Ford and Manor Mill Road. A black trap lay across the body of a man who an hour ago was enjoying a simple cup of coffee with his wife of many years. District Attorney Andrew Murray made an appearance his navy blazer, blue jeans and tie a sharp contrast to the uniforms and more causally dressed neighbors.

A CMPD helicopter hovered overhead, as an officer with a German Shepard walked around the crime scene. At one point the police dog was turned off leash but found nothing.

The suspect a young black man was last seen running back up Mullens Ford Road towards Simsbury Road and the Foxcroft East Shopping Center.

Three hours later the rain slowed, and was replaced by a steady mist. The emergency flashers of WSOC TV's News Truck the only sign of a news worthy event. Gone were the police cruisers and crime scene tape. The fire department and paramedics were gone as well and neighbors had returned to their homes. All that was left to do was pass the hours til it was time for the 5 O'clock newscast and a tease that comes with being "WSOC" promising an answer to why the Mecklenburg County DA was on the scene that would be held until the 6PM repeat of the facts.

Cars speed along Carmel Road just a block away and life goes on.

Charlotte Police describe the suspect as a black male with a dark complexion and a short hair cut, between 20-30 years of age, 6'2" tall and skinny, and last seen wearing dark pants and a white and black plaid shirt or jacket.

More details from WBTV News here.

Andy Dulin Again Sides With Developer This Time Cresent Resources

At Monday's City Council meeting, council members will decide the fate of one of the last undeveloped properties in the SouthPark area.

Bulldozers are taking aim at the 7.6-acre site owned by Crescent Resources, and next to Crescent's Piedmont Town Center.



Zoning Map is here

Council member Andy Dulin who's never seen a development idea he didn't like or a developer he wasn't happy for get under the sheets told the "Local Paper":

He's walked the controversial property multiple times with Crescent developers, Piedmont Town Center residents and residents of Wintercrest Lane, and believes the developer's plans are reasonable.

"At 75 feet, there's a lot of buffer," said Dulin. "And the fact is, that property cannot stay undeveloped for eternity. In this economy, we've now got a plan that I think works."

I'm sorry but Mr. Dulin it's been undeveloped for "eternity" all ready and it was zoned an eternity ago, so why change it? Don't make us look under the sheets!

Read More Here

Siers on CMPD's Tisdale Report

How Closely Is Big Brother Watching?

Listen up peeps, if the folks at Mac World have it right.... "you may not know where you're going in life, but you always know where you've been, and so does your iPhone".

According to a story in The Guardian on Wednesday, the iPhone (and the 3G-enabled iPad) keeps a running log of its location and copies that information to your home computer whenever you connect to it. As such, the information complete with latitude, longitude, and timestamps can be easily reconstructed to show a person's movements.

While The Guardian story might seem like big news it's not even if MacWorld says that its a blow to Apple who touted improvements to location privacy when it rolled out iOS 4 last year.

But just so you know...

If you have ever pressed the Google Mags icon on your iPhone or BlackBerry and then clicked the traffic overlay to be completely blown away, by how up to the second and mile marker the bottle neck crawling along at a snails pace the graphic is, you shouldn't be surprised.



So how does Google Maps know how bad the traffic is? Shared data is the answer. Massive computers are tracking not just your "blue dot" on the Google map, but every body's blue dot. When the blue dots bunch up in a area that normally is go go green, the area changes to red, yellow if its just slowing slightly.

While not as detailed as the application in the Guardian story, the concept is the same. In other words that iPhone knows everything, soon you'll buy your Starbucks with your iPhone and big brother will have the ability to cut you off, before you head out into traffic.

We wouldn't want any over caffeinated drivers out there on I-77 ot I-26 would we?

Yes it's all for the greater good.

April 22, 2011 Update:

WFAE is reporting on a Wall Street Journal report that Google tracks data as well. Hummmm I told you so. The WSJ report is here and WFAE is here.

Classic CMPD and City Manager White Wash - Tisdale Report Released

CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe has finally released the Tisdale report and in doing so managed to blow enough smoke and prop up enough mirrors be able to say I told you so.

Earlier this year Chief Monroe and City Manager Curt Walton told the citizens of Charlotte that the Federal Government had sealed CMPD's report on Delvonte Tisdale's death and the secret squirrel nature of the report prevented them from providing any information other than on a "need to know" basis. In short the city manager said the report was "classified".

But the local paper and several media started asking questions and determined that the Chief and Walton lied that the TSA or Feds never said the report was classified.

Monroe dogged and weaved and replied that the report should have been classified, and continued to hold the report.

According to WBTV Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it made a formal request to the TSA on March 17, 2011, asking the agency to conduct an additional review of the Delvonte Tisdale security breach report.

CMPD went on to say that they made the request "to protect sensitive security information included in the report."

In other words, CMPD's chief again caught in a lie, needed a goat or a cover up.

During the TSA's investigation, CMPD says it worked closely with the TSA.



Specifically David Wary who is the top TSA official in Charlotte. Police say their participation included "hosting meetings, providing sensitive security information that was ultimately included in the final report as well as their review and feedback on the content of the report."

When the TSA released the "do-over" report, they redacted some of those details and sent it to CMPD on Thursday, April 14.

The Department added, "This review reaffirms the city's original position, indicating (another more accurate word would be "lying") that the report contained sensitive security information concerning airport security and vulnerability that could not and should not be released publicly."

Police say they have also found other portions of the report that should not be released to the public and made additional redactions in the report released today.

WBTV has a copy of the report here.

Cedar's Take:

If you read between the lines and cross relate to facts known about CMPD, CDIA and add some common sense you can see why the Chief and City Manager wanted the report "classified", the bottom line is CDIA is grossly understaffed and there is no security at the airport other than a rusty chain link fence outside and the TSA conducting strip searches of 5 year old passengers inside.

Tisdale, was dispondant and by himslef as he walked down the rail road tracks that passed near his home. Hours later in the cold night air he scrambled up the hill at the airport and found a way to enter the property. In a brazen move under the cover of darkness he ran up to a random USAirways 737 and climbed into the wheel well.



Read Charlotte Douglas International Airport Not Secure? Why You Shouldn't Be Surprised.

In the end the report is less about Tisdale and more about how grossly inadequate security is at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. So why the big cover up?

Several hours after the report became public, Mayor Anthony Foxx issued this statement:

Today, Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe and Aviation Director Jerry Orr delivered on their promise to release the redacted Delvonte Tisdale Investigation Report. As city staff has already said, implementation of the report recommendations has already begun and our budget process will include discussion of additional steps. Given the sensitive nature of security issues, it is best for me to allow city professional staff to provide further insight on this matter. I am very confident that the steps being taken will result in improved security.

Two Different Tornadoes Two Very Different Responses

First "It's Not Devastation Terrible"



And Now "OH MY F-ing God!" (Caution Extreme Language)



And now the combination of the two.

Monday's Odds and Ends

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue MIA During Tornado Outbreak - Where was North Carolina's Governor during Saturday's disaster?

In the aftermath of Saturday's storms, the governor's office refused to answer questions about Perdue's whereabouts. Apparently media calls to Perdue's office could not reach the Governor throughout much of the day.

The governor was not present at the 8 p.m. media briefing and state Emergency Management Director Doug Hoell indicated he had not yet spoken directly with her.

But around 8:15 PM she was spotted changing planes in Charlotte.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Perdue communications director Chrissy Pearson said that Perdue had been out of the state attending to a "family obligation."

Then at 10:16 Perdue's staff issued a media release saying she would hold a briefing in Raleigh at 11 p.m.



At 11:05 more than 12 hours after the start what may be costliest tornado outbreak in the Tarheel state's history, she announced at the late night media conference that she had declared a state of emergency while looking like she had been on a weekend long bender.

Turns out Perdue was not attending a family event but was in Lexington, Kentucky visiting with fellow Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear attending the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, a thoroughbred horse race that severs are one of many Kentuchy Debry warm up parties. The "Blue Grass Stakes" the feature race during the day long event was not held until 5:45 PM.

Was Language To Blame for Eastern North Carolina Tornado Deaths? - Given the state's large Latino population and the evidence from some of the photos, Cedar Posts wonders if any of the 22 people who died Saturday didn't understand that multiple tornadoes were bearing down on them?


Residents of Stony Brook North Mobile Home Park

At least two trailer parks were destroyed by the storms. Why anyone would take shelter inside a mobile home during a tornado outbreak is beyond me. Most of the moblie homes in the path of the tornado that swept through Bertie County are simply gone and ten people lost their lives.

In the Stony Brook North moblie home park 3 boys were killed. Police say Cristina Alvarez was home with the children when she heard the tornado approaching the park. At the time, police say Alvarez tried to protect the children by putting them in a closet but a tree smashed into the home killing 9-year-old Daniel Quistian, 3-year-old Kevin Coronado and 8-year-old Osvaldo Coronado.

More than 50% of the trailers in the neighbor hood have been completly destoryed or will be condemmed.

Is it possible that because the warnings are not given in Spanish these people didn't understand what was about to happen? Should TV news stations run a crawl every once in a while in Spanish during these events? After all they repeat the same mindless warning of stay away from windows, stay out of mobile homes, take cover in a basement or drainage ditch over and over again. So why not in Spanish too?

CMPD Reports Only 8 Homicides So Far This Year - Got to give credit to someone so it might as well be CMPD. We started the year off in the right direction with only one homicide in January and none in February. But Saturday's 8th victim Larry Dean Wallace, 40, puts the lull into perspective, there are bad people out there and people get murdered.

Amazing Tornado Footage From Mississippi

This footage was just uploaded, showing a really serious tornado moving west of Jackson Mississippi.

Earth Day "Fest" Delayed Because of Rain

The "local paper" is reporting that "Charlotte Clean and Green, the area's largest Earth Day festival", has been rescheduled from Saturday to Sunday because of expected bad weather.

I can only hope the NWS is wrong like it is about 50% of the time.

It can't get any more silly than to postpone an event that celebrates mother nature and our planet than canceling it because of rain.

Actually "Earth Day" is supposed to be on April 22th. It's like Christmas or July 4th and St. Patricks Day and it should be held on the correct day rain or shine. After all isn't rain part of the bargain? Apparently The National Weather Service forecasts a 90 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms Saturday morning.

Seriously how much more are we going to wimp out?

Last week I witnessed a parent "flip out" because is was starting to sprinkle at her son's soccer game. She demanded to know who was in charge and went on to say they should be fired for continuing play in such dangerous conditions. Lady it was only rain and there was not a thunderstorm within 200 miles.

I'd guess in another 100 years we'll cancel outdoor events because of cold weather? Oh wait too late didn't we cancel St. Patrick's Day a couple of years ago because it was too cold?

Well in fairness to the promoters the event will be held at Central Piedmont Community College's central campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Fort Sumter Falls 1861-2011

Photo Credit Brian Hicks Charleston Post and Courier. More photos here.

150 years ago today Major Anderson of the United Stats Union Army lowered the flag with 33 stars and surrendered the fort to the CSA General P G T Beauregard and to the cheers of the South Carolina militia.

Today, re-enactors have again raised the Confederate "Stars and Bars" over Ft. Sumter to the cheers of many.

But there are a lot of people who think the whole commemoration thing is an insult. As you can imagine NAACP is one of those groups that are none too happy about today's events.

The NAACP believes the horrors of the Civil War and the barbaric enslavement of human beings that led to the war should never be celebrated. A press release from the NAACP South Carolina Chapter says: "We acknowledge that the Civil War observances should be a time to look back at the worst period of our nation's history with a clear-eyed view of the brutal reality of chattel slavery -- its causes and lingering effects on America today."

And so it goes, those who believe the war was over slaves and those, myself included, who think otherwise.

Many Carolinians have a passing interest in the war and just as many could care less. I've always been surprised at the lack of basic knowledge about the civil war. I doubt a random sample would prove me wrong, as I'm pretty sure most Americans don't know the year the war started or the year the war ended. (1861-1865)

Few understand that in 1861 the North had all the wealth and the South had nothing other than a few ports, a lot of farmland, and not much else.

At the start of the war the odds were overwhelmingly in favor of the Union due to the vast resources for guns and ammunition, railroad and manufacturing north of the Mason Dixon line and nothing more than farms to the south.

My great-great grand father John A. Edmonds, fought for the south. His occupation listed as farmer on his enlistment form and his rank that of private. In October of 1861 he joined Company "A" of the Alabama 26th infantry regiment.

Over the next 2 years he fought alongside his neighbors, and their sons. The names and places some remembered others forgotten.

Fort Donelson February 15, 1862
Yorktown, Virginia April - May, 1862
Williamsburg, Virginia Battle May 5, 1862
Seven Pines Battle May 31-June 1, 1862
Malvern Hill Battle
Boonesboro (South Mountain) September 14, 1862
Sharpsburg (Antietam) in Maryland September 17, 1862
Shephardstown Ford, West Virginia September 20, 1862
Fredericksburg, Virginia Battle December 12-15, 1862
Chancellorsville, Virginia Battle May 2-3, 1863
Gettysburg Battle



He fought and marched from his home in Alabama all way to Gettysburg where he was captured on July 3, 1863.

As a prisoner of war he forced to march to Ft. McHenry and then on to Ft. Delaware along with 3000 other Confederate prisoners.

Ft. Delaware was designed with housing for 200 men, but the winds of war made it more practical for a prison. So in 1862 the first Confederates were incarcerated, both soldiers and southern sympathisers were locked up, including the grandson of Francis Scott Key. But by the time the Gettysburg prisoners arrived, the fort was holding nearly 13,000 men.

The conditions were beyond understanding, typhoid epidemics periodically swept through the fort, death from starvation was common. Across the river at Finn's Point 2500 rebel soldiers are buried having died not in battle but in prison.

Apparently my grand father considered his options, and 3 days after his arrival he switched sides and uniforms by swearing allegiance to the Union. He spent the rest of the war wearing US Blue, and received an honorable discharge from the US Army, returning to Alabama in 1865.

Years later he would walk home from the post office having picked up his monthly Union Army pension check only to make a point of "flagging it" for his brother to see, often saying "Well I guess you had the misfortune to be on the wrong side".

Why then did he join the Confederate cause?

I haven't a clue, perhaps there was a promise of land should the south win the war, as his father had fought the Seminole Indians in 1818, and was given 40 acres of prime farm land as payment for his service.

I know one thing he wasn't fighting for the right own slaves, he didn't have any slaves, and there were few plantations west of Atlanta.

I suspect he marched north because everyone else did, they were called to serve their homeland and did so out of honor and duty. Most if not all fought for the right to self-govern, and in 1861 the feeling that Washington was out of touch with the south was as true then as it is today.

And so it is that I share with my Great-Great Grandfather more than just southern heritage but also the thought that we would be better off without Washington, and oddly enough we also have the same birthday.

CMPD Re-Accredited

Proof that CMPD at it core is still a well structured police department. After months of work the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), has approved the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for accredited status.

The press release in all its double talk and fluff is below:

Sent: Tue Apr 12th, 2011 10:42 AM EDT
Subject: CMPD Reaccreditation

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is pleased to announce that the CMPD has successfully completed a multiyear process designed to attain internationally acknowledged law enforcement recognition by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).

CALEA was established as a private, non-profit accrediting authority in 1979 by the four major law enforcement executive associations: International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); National Sheriffs' Association (NSA); and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The Commission has 21 members; 11 of whom are law enforcement practitioners, with the remaining 10 from the public and private sectors.

CALEA's purpose and mission is two-fold. First, to establish a body of standards designed to increase agency effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of public safety services and, second, to establish and administer a series of credentialing programs through which public safety agencies can demonstrate voluntarily that they meet an established set of internationally recognized professional standards leading to excellence in management and service delivery.

The CALEA Accreditation Process, itself, is a proven modern management model. Once implemented, it presents an agency's Chief Executive Officer, on a continuing basis, with a blueprint that promotes the efficient use of resources and improves service delivery - regardless of the size, geographic location, or functional responsibilities of the agency. The standards upon which CALEA's Programs are based reflect the current thinking and experience of public safety practitioners and researchers and are considered benchmarks for today's public safety agencies.

Agencies receive their awards after participating in a process that involves a commitment of personnel and other resources. The process normally takes approximately 36 months for law enforcement agencies seeking CALEA Accreditation. During that period, all aspects of the agency's policies, procedures, management, operations and support services are examined in detail. In addition, each agency conducts a detailed self-assessment and participates in an on-site review by a team of outside CALEA Assessors, composed of experienced public safety practitioners. The local community is also notified of the process and given an opportunity to submit their comments and observations

Some of the benefits that law enforcement agencies receive as a result of their participation in the CALEA Accreditation Process include:

* Independent confirmation that policies comply with professionally developed standards
* Promote fair recruitment, selection and promotion processes
* Reduced exposure to civil law suits and costly settlements
* Enhanced understanding of agency policies and procedures
* Greater administrative and operational effectiveness
* Greater public confidence in the agency and its personnel

The CALEA Accreditation Process has proven to be of great benefit to both the agency and the community. It requires that the agency conform to procedures that are consistent with internationally recognized professional standards. This is the foundation for competent, responsible, and ethical service to the public. It also requires the agency to take a thorough, introspective look at its mission, objectives, and operation. This results in a process of evaluation that allows the agency to adjust ways of doing business in order to respond to the needs of an ever-changing society. CALEA Accreditation is a key element in any law enforcement agency's ability to perform in the present and plan for the future. It has, over and over, proven itself to be an effective, modern management model.

For more information concerning accreditation please contact Sgt. Chris Fish at cfish@cmpd.org

Tomlinson Pens His Own Tisdale Story "The Boy Who Fell From The Sky"

The local paper's human interest writer Tommy Tomlinson put together an interesting piece about Delvonte Tisdale.

"Arrange the facts a certain way, piece the jagged edges together, and you start to see a picture. But the picture doesn't speak. Nothing in it says why.

A lot of people want to know the how. How, exactly, did Delvonte Tisdale get onto airport grounds and hide inside a commercial airliner? And if a 16-year-old could do it, why not a terrorist?

These are important questions, and authorities owe us the answers. But this is more personal. The idea this morning is to talk about why."

Tommy's story is here.

I'm sure a lot of people have that same question, why? And while Tommy's story does a good job it doesn't provide any real answers.

The truth is, a 16 year old boy's mind is a pile of mush, capable of things adults and more so parents can't understand. As teenagers, every once and awhile we don't survive our actions. It happens.

But most of us grow up into functional adults, and then again some of us don't, instead we live a life with baggage that we drag around for our entire lives.

Something someone said to us, or did and we can't get past and years later it emerges in a fit of anger or a failed marriage, a criminal act or self destructive behavior.

I suspect, Charlie Sheen, Lindsey Lohan, Casey Anothy and BTK killer and so many others have this in common. How many criminals explain their crimes by saying they suffered an abusive childhood?

As teenagers we deal with a lot, some of our secrets we keep forever, deep hurting secrets, that we tell no one. I suspect you have a few as well.

Some we share, I laugh when I think of my middle school gym teacher, he was a pervert who liked to stare at young boys in the showers. He had all the bench marks of a child molester and I'm sure some of my class mates fared worse than I did.



Was it a big deal at the time? I guess so. But I would also guess it has never bothered me enough to say anything. But I'll tell you this I dreaded gym class and refused to use the showers even in High School. And my mother never figured out how I could fail PE.

There were bullies, Howie was a kid who would threaten me unless I stole cigarettes from my mother and handed them over to him as payment for my protection from being beat up by of course him. He once threw a friend's bicycle into a rock quarry. Hell it might have been mine. I really don't remember, but I'm sure he ended up in prison.



A kid once spit in my Fritos and told me so after I ate the entire bag. I was sick for a week and I'm sure the kid later died from someone poisoning his food.

Karma works like that.

I more than once thought about running away, and so did my friends so one day we jumped on a freight train and rode it for nearly 40 miles before it slowed enough to jump off. The three of us were old enough to know better but too young to think it through.



40 miles down the line and a long way from home, now what? Only one thing to do, jump a train going in the opposite direction. An hour later we were back in familiar territory still far from home we opted to get off the train while it was going slow enough to do so, and it case it didn't slow down again. We walked home the last couple of miles, made it on time for dinner and no one ever said a word.

Throughout my childhood I dealt with life, somehow my parents gave me enough problem solving skills, and enough brain cells to keep from getting killed.

I guess I could lay blame on a lot of my childhood. I could have been a stand out athlete, never liked the idea of leaving home without a return ticket, and I still don't like fritos.

But I don't blame my parents, the coach, the school bully or the railroad. Somewhere after the age of 3 we start thinking for ourselves. We make choices and God willing we live to tell about them.

I think we have been trying to over analyze Delvonte Tisdale's death. Shit happens, he is no different than any other kid, just trying to deal with the world.

All we can do is spread the word, buy a ticket.

Another Story From Augusta

So you're sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting for your connector flight back to D.C., and the guy next to you is wearing a Masters hat. He is just returning from watching a practice round at Augusta National -- his first-ever visit to golf's grand cathedral. His eyes are almost glazed, his voice wistful, just as your own eyes and voice were glazed and wistful after your first visit to the storied Georgian hills. Suddenly, as he describes what he saw, you yourself are back there, too, reliving last year's in-person experience of Phil's fine final two rounds. Somehow, though, your most vivid image isn't of Mickelson's exploits, but of Fred Couples chipping in for eagle on Saturday. You hear yourself saying that no matter how casually cool and at ease Couples usually looks on TV -- almost preternaturally so -- he somehow seems even more cool and casually at ease, with his sockless deck shoes and his trademark stroll, in person.

Then it hits you: EVERYTHING at Augusta seemed even more than it looks in the always-brilliant CBS telecasts. More beautiful. More rolling. More daunting. Everything and everybody just seems more itself or more himself. It's like going from a daguerreotype to a perfectly focused digital photograph -- and then watching it start to live and breathe in front of your eyes.

That's what the guy at the airport had just experienced. No wonder he was glassy-eyed and wistful.

The rest of Quin Hillyer's story is here go read comment.

Thursday Odds and Ends

In Doggie News:

MASON, Ohio (AP) -- Police say an Ohio man has been charged with a misdemeanor for barking at a police dog. A police report says 25-year-old Ryan James Stephens was charged with teasing a police dog in Mason.

Officer Bradley Walker wrote that he heard the K9 dog barking uncontrollably inside his patrol car while he was investigating a car crash at a pub early Sunday morning.

Walker says Stephens was making barking noises and hissing at the animal. Walker reported that Stephens said "the dog started it" when asked why he was harassing the animal. The officer said Stephens appeared highly intoxicated.

Supreme Court Fail:

The Mainstream Press won't cover this because its just too deep. But given the depth of the North Carolina’s SBI Lab misdeeds and the Duke Lacrosse fiasco this is a pretty note worthy development.

In 1985, John Thompson was convicted of murder in Louisiana. Having already been convicted in a separate armed robbery case, he opted not to testify on his own behalf in his murder trial.

He was sentenced to death and spent 18 years in prison, 14 of them isolated on death row. Several weeks before an execution scheduled for May 1999, Thompson's private investigators learned that prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence that would have cleared him at his robbery trial. This evidence included the fact that the main informant against him had received a reward from the victim's family, that the eyewitness identification done at the time described someone who looked nothing like him, and that a blood sample taken from the crime scene did not match Thompson's blood type.

Both of Thompson's convictions were overturned. When he was retried on the murder charges, a jury acquitted him after 35 minutes.

He sued the former Louisiana district attorney for Orleans Parish, Harry Connick Sr. (yes, his dad) for failing to train his prosecutors about their legal obligation to turn over exculpatory evidence to the defense. A jury awarded Thompson $14 million for this civil rights violation, one for every year he spent wrongfully incarcerated.

A panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the verdict. An equally divided 5th Circuit, sitting en banc, affirmed again.

But last week, the Supreme Court tossed out the verdict. The finding of the court makes you wonder if any of the Conservative justices even read the case of if they have become so Hollywood that they have lost touch with the real world. The case is more detailed than any blog can cover, but Slate makes a good effort and the rest of the post is here.

CMPD News: The much awaited promotion of Vicki Foster to Deputy Chief seems to be back on track. This time Chief Monroe is floating the idea of also promoting a "white" male to the DC position as well as promoting Sherri Pearsal, in an attempt to calm the troops.

Cedar Posts wonders if Foster and Pearsal will be co-deputy chiefs?

Foster of course is not qualified or deserving to the DC position, but Monroe is intent on promoting "diversity over ability" and in doing so is willing to pass over career male officers who are more than qualified.

Other CMPD Developments:

Long faces and much time spent behind closed doors this week for Chief Monroe's inner circle. No word on what or who but one would suspect this is not good news and that a major announcement is in the works once the spin has taken hold.

Mecklenburg DA's Office Punts:

What looked like a sure win for CMPD has turned to dust, following a series of missteps. Back in February CMPD officers had charged 3 individuals with a number of South Charlotte break-ins only to have all charges dismissed by the Mecklenburg County District Attorney last week.

Justin Aldrich, Caleb Allen and Anna Hoard were thought to be connected to robberies on Wendover Road, Vernon Lane, Colony Road and Sharon Lane. Stolen property was discovered in a rented home where Aldrich lived. But police apparently entered the home without a proper search warrant and later used information gathered during the unlawful search to prepare and obtain a search warrant.



Seems like Allen who would be a likely suspect in just about any case, was just that, and while he fits the profile its clear he wasn't the right guy.

So that leaves Aldrich and Hoard.

The DA's office states the following reasons for the dismissal of 3 counts of Possession of Stolen Goods against Aldrich.

"The defendant was linked to these offenses primarily by his possession of property stolen from several break-in, however, his proven possession of the property came days or weeks after the break-ins, and the evidence is somewhat inconclusive."

"Weeks after a victim's iPad was stolen in a break-in, Defendant sold it to a pawn shop. Standing alone, her mere possession of the stolen iPad is insufficient to prove he either stole it or knew it was stolen."

"Other items stolen in several break-ins were found in a rented bedroom that he and a co defendant shared, however neither of them was present when police fist searched that room. Neither of them gave permission to search the room and the officers had no search warrant. Defendant's landlord kicked in their locked bedroom door and invited officers to enter and search the room. He had no authority to do so. Officers later decided to withdraw and seek a search warrant, but the application they submitted to the Magistrate includes a description of the things they'd already seen in Defendant's bedroom, which describes as things similar to items listed in the breaking and entering reports, arguably this taints the application and undermines the validity of the search warrant, making it more likely than not that a court would suppress all evidence flowing from the search of the bedroom."

Opps!

More on this from Broome Street Blues.

Duke Energy Faux Pas:

According to the Duke Energy press release this AM there are still about 21k without power and more than half in Mecklenburg County. In the aftermath of Hugo, city county leaders called on Duke Energy to put more power transmission lines underground. This of course fell by the wayside as Duke cited cost considerations. But it really makes you wonder why the "trunk" line over 485 was not put underground when the loop was constructed.

One estimate is that the utility poles that run along highway 51 where nearly forty years old.

The entire event on 485 illustrates an “Epic Failure” of local government, law enforcement and Duke Energy.

The weather system that passed through Mecklenburg County was without a doubt a strong one but the inability to respond in a timely manner does seem to be in question or at least should be. The response time from Duke Energy was nearly six hours.

Pineville Police, NC SHP and CMPD were ill prepared to handle the resulting traffic quagmire. Imagine if another Hugo size event happened today, how would we deal with it? I’d suggest not very well based on Monday’s response.

Correction: The lines over 485 are owned by Pineville Electric a hold over from the days of Rual Electical Co-op's I'll guess. Which might explain some of the delay, no one know who to call?

Masters on Tuesday

The wind rushes through the Georgia Pines and another spring day comes to a close over the place known around the world as simply Augusta.

The Augusta National Golf Club, is a place where you can hear history when the wind blows. A gust of cool air moves up the 10th fairway toward the famed Butler Cabin and when it reaches the 100 year old pines behind you, just for an instant it is the sound of a rising crescendo, the crowd going to their feet as Jack Nicklaus sinks an eagle put at 15. You will swear that is what you heard, just as if you were standing on this very spot twenty five years ago on that Sunday when Nicklaus won his sixth green jacket.

But the wind blowing through the Georgia pines also reminds you that time is indeed fleeting and that even this very moment is now history. Augusta is a place where tradition stands firm against a cascade of modernism, against technology and solid in the grips of honor and rules of golf that prevail on these grounds. This is where the soul of golf resides during the coldest days of winter, and where we take notice and rejoice at spring’s arrival each April.

This is a place where change is avoided and old traditions thrive like bent grass greens in the cool spring weather.

But change comes anyway, even to Augusta National. The course is longer than it was even a few years ago, playing now to 7,435 yards, and is the perfect setup for a Tiger Woods of two or three green jackets ago. Once a Master of this golf course Woods has become just another name on the pairing sheets.

Yet, Thursday will mark Tiger’s 17th appearance at the masters, and his pairing with Graeme McDowell, the U.S. Open champion who rallied from a four-shot deficit to beat Woods last December in a playoff for a the Chevron World Challenge, will please those who still hope for greatness from the once number one golfer in the world.

But the title of number one now belongs to a German Martin Kaymer, who was little known before winning the PGA Championship last year.

And there are other names also on hand on this late afternoon.

Matt Kutcher is here as is Sandy Lyle and around the corner Ben Crenshaw who is making his 39 appearance and is chatting it up with Ricky Fowler who is making is first. Fowler is so young looking that Fred Couples and Tiger seem to be in the same demographic and then there is “lefty” Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson is so tickled to be at Augusta that he decided not to practice today and just take it all in. Noting the overnight storm damage and the loss of a magnolia he joked "I was surprised that it wasn't replaced the first half hour, I don't understand what happened. I think Chairman [Billy] Payne must have been sleeping in.”


One Less Magnoila

But Augusta isn't about sleeping in, its about being timeless and the Eisenhower Pine stands a testament to that fact. The member and former president once complained about the tree and wanted it removed, in making his complaint known to Chairman Clifford Roberts Ike sealed the tree’s fate, forever to stand on the 17th fairway, a fitting tribute to a nation’s leader and best known executive branch golfer. The tree is also a reminder that even presidents can’t get a break at Augusta.

Tomorrow the par 3 contest will complete the warm up with an always fun event, the object of which is not to win, as doing is considered the death blow to winning the actual tournament.

On Thursday morning Nicklaus and Palmer will step to the first tee as honorary starters, and the applause that follows each shot will mark the start of the 75th Masters. Snead, Nelson and Sarazen the prior starts are now gone. But I’m sure the trio having served the longest in that role as honorary starters would be pleased to Jack and Arnie filling in for them.

Friday the corporate crowds with fill the galleries and by Saturday it will turn to family day with pimento cheese sandwiches carefully wrapped in green plastic being consumed by the truck load while inside the ropes its moving day.

And it all becomes history in the fading half light of another April Sunday afternoon, when someone walks up the 18th fairway hearing not just the roar of the appreciative crowd, but a standing ovation from history itself as it takes a firm hold of that final moment at the Masters.