Alabama Confidential

Mountain Roads

2009-10-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Knoxville Tennessee is an oasis of redneck sophistication. Fancy restaurants, great shopping malls, outstanding clinics, and of course - Big Orange football – all are part of the milieu, that makes Knoxville the capitol of the East Tennessee highlands.

Fifteen miles away, on back roads that wind their way through the Smoky Mountain foothills in rural Blount County are people who tell tales of personally seeing the devil walking and snatching the souls of evil doers. No one who has roots in the area has a conflict with the extremes between Knoxville’s sophistication and the Balkan-like superstition that exists in the foothills just a few miles away...

Johnny Turbyfield sat at his Aunt Zora’s table waiting for the ninety-year-old woman to return inside from her small garden plot just outside her back door. The kitchen smelled of baking. It had always smelled of baking since as far back as Johnny could remember. Soon he heard the squeak of the screen door opening. Aunt Zora was back. In her apron, she carried some small potatoes. “New” potatoes were the common name for the spuds Aunt Zora had just unearthed from her garden.

After putting all the potatoes except one in the sink to be washed, Aunt Zora took the remaining potato and cut it in half with a small knife she carried in the pocket of her apron.

“Which hand has the warts, Johnny?”

“This one, Aunt Zora.” Johnny lifted his right hand and held it up to his aunt. Aunt Zora mumbled something over the potato halves she held, and then rubbed the cut ends of both over the five warts on Johnny’s right hand.

Handing one of the potato halves to Johnny, Aunt Zora said, “Okay Johnny here is what you do: Tonight at midnight go to the Century Presbyterian Church cemetery and bury this potato on your uncle Sam Turbyfield’s grave. I’ll bury the other potato back in the garden. While you’re burying the potato, say the Lord’s Prayer three times. Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, your warts will be gone. Now you better hurry and get to work or you’ll have more problems than warts.”

Johnny stood up and wrapped his arms around his aunt’s humped back, kissed her on the cheek, and left. Johnny had found warts on his other hand five years earlier and his mom told him to see his Aunt Zora who was well known for practicing home medicine - even though some of her prescriptions were a little spooky. The treatment had worked and Johnny had no doubt it would work this time as well.

He just had to remember to set his watch alarm so he could be in the cemetery before midnight. He stroked the accelerator of his little Dodge pickup trying to make it to the Maryville Infirmary in time for the beginning of his shift as a medical technician in the emergency room

To be cont....

Question?

2009-10-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

Who do I know in Wheaton,Illinois?

Wheaton College is located not far from downtown Wheaton. Its campus features the Billy Graham Center, named for the college's most famous alumnus, which contains a museum dedicated to both the history of American evangelism and the international ministry of Billy Graham. It features conceptual exhibits intended to convey Christian ideas.

It's Republican.

He/She uses a macintosh - Resolution 1920 x 1200

Beats me....

The Deadly Diary

2009-10-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

Sometime, way back when, people got it into their heads that writing a daily diary was a good thing. Therapy. Collecting and organizing thoughts, etc. Some parents encourage their kids to write diaries - then the kids - realizing that parents are sneaking peeks - hide them.

In a tragic story I was recently told, I was given cause to wonder if keeping a diary is really such a good thing or even a safe thing. The person who told me this story is in the murder business. He investigates murders for a living. He used to work for the state, but now he has his own shingle and works for lawyers who defend murder suspects.

It seems that several years ago that there was a young girl that was murdered. It seems these days that young girls get murdered all the time. In this case, the young girl kept a diary. Whether mom knew about the diary, we'll never know. However after her daughter was brutally murdered mom "found" the diary. While reading her murdered daughter's diary, she made a starting discovery. Her young girl was socially very active - if you get my drift. She told of her experiences and mentioned names. Sometimes the names of prominent young men in the community. Distressed and devastated the mom did what she thought was the right thing to do. She gave the diary to the head police official investigating the murder.

The head police official - not a very straight up guy - recognized many of the names in the diary and realized the value of the book was much greater for himself than using the book to solve the young girl's murder. He took the diary to the person who would be most threatened by its contents. That person asks him - What are we going to do about the mother who gave this to you? The high police official - who is now a conduit - shrugs and says this is not his problem.

Finally it is decided that it would be much better for the interested parties to "buy" the mother off than use the diary as evidence in a murder trial. That's the way it came down. The rather humble and semi-impoverished mom and dad, get a nice house and piece of property out of the deal, the diary disappears, and the prominent well-connected murderers and accomplices never make it to trial - all because of a diary and a naive mother who thought the high police offical would do the right thing.

Did this really happen - or is it my friends imagination?

The "Sweet Jesus Talking Boy"

2009-10-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

The little rich boy had a modus operandi you might say. He would go through his "Jesus talking" seduction rituals and after the seduction was accomplished, he would become increasingly brutal with his victims – yes, you heard it right – victims. He didn't kill them, but he still had victims of his rage. They're still out there – some could be your neighbors - and they still remember the "Sweet Jesus Talking" boy. Why was the stocky built boy so brutal? It could be that the "guilts" set in after he accomplished his conquests and not wanting to admit his own failings, he blamed his fall from grace on his victim and would punish her for leading him astray. While I understand his reasoning, "Sweet Jesus Talking" boy is still a killer, abuser, and victim of his own vices of drink and drugs.

On the fateful day of the young girl's death, "The Sweet Jesus Talking" boy set up the rendezvous point as normal and followed the little girl as she drove away in her car. What started out as regular sex became increasingly violent. Some say "Jesus boy" was not alone, but had friends who liked to watch and sometimes participate. Friends who like him loved drugs and booze. The little girl to them was nothing but sport. An innocent child who had wandered into their web and got caught. An autopsy showed that numerous men had put sperm in the little girl's vagina. Of course, this never came out in the news media or the trial. There were reasons.

White House strips immigration policing powers from Arizona sheriff

2009-10-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Daniel Nasaw in Washington guardian.co.uk, Friday 9 October 2009 17.04 BST Article history

A controversial Arizona sheriff known for taking a hard line against illegal immigrants has been stripped of some of his powers in what he described as a political move by the Obama administration.

Joe Arpaio, a gruff lawman who styles himself as America's toughest sheriff, has won acclaim from US anti-immigrant forces for his relentless pursuit of mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants in Maricopa county, Arizona, a fast-growing county of 4 million people that is home to Phoenix, the nation's fifth largest city.

Arpaio's aggressive tactics include the jailing of illegal immigrants in tent cities surrounded by barbed wire in the middle of Arizona's searingly hot summers, the reduction of meal costs to 20 cents per day, the use of pink jail clothing for men, and chain gangs for women inmates.

Arpaio also came in for criticism when he appeared on the Fox reality show Smile: You're Under Arrest.

Under a two-year-old agreement with the federal department of homeland security, Arpaio and his deputies had been authorised to enforce federal immigration law by arresting suspected illegal immigrants in the field and by checking the immigration status of people arrested on other offences.

But after drawing thousands of complaints and a civil rights investigation from the justice department, Arpaio was this week stripped of his federal authority to make immigration arrests. County attorney Andrew Thomas, one of Arpaio's supporters, condemned the "setback in the fight against illegal immigration".

For his part Arpaio has promised to continue chasing illegal immigrants using state laws. In an angry press conference, he called US homeland security officials "liars" and said he would personally drive those caught on the streets to the border if federal officers refused to take arrested illegal immigrants into custody. "I'll take a little trip to the border and turn them over to the border," he said.

Arpaio's critics decried his continued plans to arrest illegal immigrants and said the Obama administration should sever all ties with him.

The now-rescinded authority to conduct field sweeps of illegal immigrants yielded only about 300 out of the roughly 33,000 total arrests of illegal immigrants since 2007, the Obama administration has done little to curtail Arpaio, said Frank Sharry, executive director of immigration reform advocacy group America's Voice.

"He's going to go down in history as a man who terrorised the Latino community for the sake of his own visibility and political popularity," Sharry said. "The fact that the Obama administration would lend any of its legitimacy to any of his activities is surprising and disappointing."

Arpaio was first elected sheriff in 1993.

"The department of homeland security is making a historic mistake if it continues its relationship with Sheriff Joe Arpaio," said Paco Fabian, spokesman for immigration reform advocacy group America's Voice. "The federal government is lending its full force and legitimacy to a rogue cop certain to go down in history as a serial violator of civil rights and an enemy of the Latino community."

An estimated 12 million illegal immigrants live in the US. The federal government is virtually paralysed over how to react, with conservatives like Arpaio calling for the arrest and deportation of illegal immigrants and increased border enforcement. Obama, many Democrats and some Republicans call for a system that will allow most to gain legal status after paying a fine and learning English, but reform efforts in 2006 and 2007 withered under sustained rightwing opposition.

More than 60 law enforcement agencies across the country have signed onto the same programme under which local officers are effectively deputised to enforce immigration law. But critics of the programme say it wastes police resources needed to fight street crime, promotes racial profiling of Hispanics, targets peaceful workers, breaks up families and breeds distrust of police among immigrants, who become afraid to report crime for fear they will be asked for immigration papers.

Snakes !!!

2009-10-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

MIAMI (Reuters) - Burmese pythons and other giant snakes imported as pets could endanger some of America's most important parks and wilderness areas if they are allowed to multiply, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Wildlife experts say the Burmese python is distributed across thousands of square miles (kilometers) in south Florida. There could be tens of thousands in the Everglades, a wildlife refuge that is home to the Florida panther and other endangered species.

The Burmese python and four other non-native snakes -- boa constrictors, yellow anacondas, northern and southern African pythons -- are considered "high-risk" threats to the health of U.S. ecosystems because they eat native birds and animals, the U.S. Geological Survey report said.

William Blount High School ban on Confederate flag

2009-10-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Blount County students won't be wearing a Confederate flag at school anytime in the future.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a petition from a group of now-former students at William Blount High School who challenged the dress code four years ago. The students were threatened with suspension if they wore Confederate flag T-shirts.

"They should have listened to it, at least heard (our) side of the story," one of the students, Craig White, told WVLT-TV.

"We were just being called out in what we were wearing, when not one of us were involved in what was going on," said his sister, Nicole White. "So it was just unfair to us."

School officials felt the policy was necessary after several race-related incidents, including:

— A racial fight at a basketball game on Feb. 22, 2005;

— An alleged hit list found on March 23, 2005;

— A school lockdown on April 6, 2005, after a student threatened to shoot several students.

The Confederate flag was never specifically banned in Blount County Schools, said Dr. Jane Morton, the system's communications director and compliance coordinator. Principals can prohibit from their schools clothes and other items that feature divisive symbols such as the Confederate flag and the swastika, she said.

Blount County Director of Schools Rob Britt said he is happy the issue is resolved. "We won at the circuit and district levels, and for the Supreme Court not hearing it, really validates and supports our policy and position."

Blount County administrators have always felt they've interpreted and implemented the school board's policy fairly and consistently in all situations, Morton said. "It's been a learning experience for all of us involved in the case; and it really set a precedent for school administrators on how to implement policy."

Britt said the end of the lawsuit reaffirms the dress code policy, and he hopes it will prevent others from trying to wear the Confederate flag in schools.

"We've always tried to keep the best interests of our students at heart," Morton said.

Arguments continue over the board policy, but Britt said tensions have calmed since 2005.

Similar cases, however, are pending elsewhere. The Confederate flag has been banned as an inflammatory symbol of racism, while flag supporters believe they have a free-speech right to express pride in their Southern heritage.

In August, a federal judge in Knoxville upheld a similar ban on Confederate-themed clothing in the Anderson County school system. The case has been appealed to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in part, based on testimony that racial tensions were low at the plaintiff's school.

Meanwhile, a federal judge in South Carolina ruled last month in favor of a Confederate flag clothing ban in the Latta school system. Flag supporters say they will appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Daily Times 9 oct 2009

More revolution......

2009-10-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

thomsontalks.com

Time to Revolt

2009-10-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight

Facebook

2009-10-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Michael Thomson

10 Downing St. , Girl, Protest

2009-10-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

London 2009

2009-09-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

along the WOD Trail

2009-08-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Away to London!!

2009-08-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

September 3 - 13!!!

My friend??

2009-08-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

copy of letter:

I am wondering why you don't report about the dating situation in your favorite small town. It seems alot of white girls from prominent families are dating (and having relations with) black boys.
Could it be that your favorite mole's own daughter has been caught up in several of these relationships?
Tell your Buddy "M" that everyone knows he is the gossip and tell him he might want to check on what his own daughter "L" is doing insteading worrying about everybody eles' business.
Oh, and you are so common.

JBP iuy concernedcitizen1984 hotmail com

[the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life]

Tall and Short

2009-08-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Little MD is 5ft 4",
His wife is 5ft 9".

Short Doc files divorce from tall wife,
The tall wife beats the shit out of the tiny surgeon and tries to eat him alive.

Tiny Doc has her arrested and she spends two nights in jail.
Her crime is cannibalism of the tiny Doc.

I'm back.....

2009-08-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

My recovery is slow. I feeling fine. Take Care!!

He's at it again!

2008-07-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Some folks never learn. At least the idiot I'm referring to doesn't. He's been in an out of jail and in and out of rehabilitation. Somebody is protecting him. Particularly when it comes to footing the bill for the expensive rehabilitation facilities he's attended.

This idiot is going to whack somebody with his car. It might be you or one of your kids. Then the DA and others who protected this guy over the years are going to have long faces and complain that they didn't know the problem was so bad. Is it too early to say there is a cover-up going on? It sures smells that way...

The police know who this guy is and can nail him anytime they want - and his enabler as well. When are they going to do it? He needs to be taken off the streets for good.

For those who are protecting him. You know who you are and everyone else knows who you are as well. Don't let this human tragedy continue. Step up to the plate and do something about it. People will think better of you for it.

Otherwise, your lives could really get complicated.

The Stupidity of The Alabama Supreme Court

2008-07-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

In a 6-3 decision, the Alabama Supreme Court voted to invalidate the power of city courts. Sure only 592 cases are affected but now because of this ruling there are 592 habitual DUI offenders potentially back on the streets to kill and maim their fellow citizens.

How political was this ruling? Think about it - where do most DUI offenders get caught - Duh - in their home towns. The court has ruled that the threshold for DUI for a certain time frame is a conviction in a state court only. Read the following article and be careful on the roads!

Published in the July 13 Online edition of The Gadsen Times

High Courts DUI Decision is Troubling Sometimes, sticking by the rule of law seems wrong. On Friday the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that convictions in municipal courts for driving under the influence don’t count when determining whether repeat offenders have the four DUI convictions that can send them to state prison.

The law since has been rewritten, but as it stood in 2005, the court said, municipal court convictions didn’t count. State law, the court ruled, cited only state court convictions in determining whether a repeat offender had hit felony status.

We understand that municipal courts don’t handle the same kinds of cases that state courts do in most instances, and it may seem simplistic to say so, but a DUI is a DUI in our minds. The venue of the conviction should not matter.

The Legislature rewrote the law in 2006, making municipal court and out-of-state convictions within the last five years count toward the felony level.

It’s unknown how many of the state’s 592 felony DUI offenders will be affected, but there will certainly be some offenders who gain their freedom because of the ruling. We hope they’ve learned a lesson and don’t repeat their behavior.

Burn the town and sack the banks!

2008-07-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

In a little over two weeks, I will be travelling to St. Albans, Vermont. This town was made famous by being the object of the furthermost northern raid of Confederate forces during the Civil War. I will have more to tell after I get there.

The raid is the subject of a book by Carolyn J. Prince entitled: Burn the town and sack the banks.

Also on this trip - if I can get to see him - I plan on meeting with the leader of Vermont's secession movement - Thomas H. Naylor, the leader of the 2nd Vermont Republic.

The Second Vermont Republic has been picking up steam for the past few years with over 13% of Vermont's population wishing to secede from the union.

There is something going on in Vermont and I intend to find out what it is.

To purchase book: Burn the town and sack the banks!

Second Vermont Republic

La la land

2008-07-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Dog fights,deluded Bible thumpers, meth dealers, child molesters, “queen bee” worshipers, a town so out of touch with the rest of the world that it resembles a lost tribe in Africa – if the shoe fits – then you know who I am taking about.

As the oil rich get richer in this small town, will the town soon be abandoned by an exodus of the rich to escape the poor, but frantic mob, of decent simple folk struggling to get by? Is this already happening? Is Costa Rica the new hiding place for the wealthy? Are the rich so insecure that they are now building walled compounds instead of houses?

People who live in commutable cities now cannot commute. They can't afford the gas.

As things get worse who will be left behind? When will the guns soon be turned on each other?

How soon will it be before golf courses close? A sure sign of things to come... Check out this news item from Florida:

SEBRING — It's hardly a laughing matter, but Sam Timms can't help but let out a nervous chuckle. The sub-par economy and high-priced gas have taken a divot from local golf courses' bottom lines.

"We're struggling," said Timms, director of golf at Highlands Ridge in Avon Park. "The reason I laugh is because our company's based out of Orlando, and our bosses were here today going over different numbers and where we obtain play.

"The economy's really affecting those numbers, and people don't realize how much."

Summer is typically a slow season for Highlands County's golf courses: Numbers of tee times and golf outings tend to fall as temperatures and humidity rises.

But $4-a-gallon gasoline has many involved in the local golf industry worried about what kind of hazards lie ahead.

Read entire article

Whats next? I guess we will have to wait and see...

New Probe of Old Crime

2008-07-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

It seems no homicide investigation get so old that it can't be reopened. In Mobile, the case of murdered teen, Katherine Foster, has been reopened by Alabama Attorney General Troy King. With modern DNA testing methods and state of the art forensic science, expect to see a number of questionable homicides reopened soon.

With the public interest so keen on solving old, so-called "solved", and unsolved crimes in the state, Attorney General King will soon be a very busy man.

FLASH! New DNA technique exonerates parents in Jonbenet Ramsey probe. Somebody else did it. A technique known as "touch" DNA was used to eliminate the parents and brother of Jonbenet Ramsey from the investigation into her death. Could this technique also be useful in cases where there is suspicion of multiple suspects? Unless evidence is destroyed this is a possibility. I've always wondered if there was more than one participant in the Stephanie Marie King slaying. "Touch" DNA testing might be a good way to find out.

If you have new information on an old "solved" or unsolved crime - OR if you want to turn yourself in, contact the Alabama Attorney General's Office at 334-242-7300.

John Adams - A must read - a must see

2008-06-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was running errands in Sterling Virginia - a place that seems to have all the shops and services required by the Thomson family. At the luggage repair shop I met this talkative fellow who in the course of the conversation asked me if I had seen the HBO mini-series John Adams. I told the fellow that I had read the book and bought the entire collection of disks when they went on sale at Target over the weekend.

He told me - and I agree - this several hour long docudrama will complete your education on the Revolutionary War.

All my life, I have stood uncomfortably in faked reverence when someone wraps a flag around themselves and starts spouting off, idealistically, about our "forefathers."

The "forefathers" - it turns out - were just as "up in your face" as politicians today. This country's formative years were fragile and could have gone in several different directions.

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican ... or an Independent like myself, you should take the time to rent or buy "John Adams" and be proud of your beliefs. Contention is a good thing...

The Christian Wackadoo - Brother James Dobson

2008-06-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

To call this guy a moral authority would be really stretching it. First he distances himself from John McCain and says there's no way he can vote for the man, and now he is attacking Barack Obama for being scripturally inaccurate in comments Obama made two years ago.

Heathen Episcopalian that I am, it is difficut for me to understand how Dobson got elevated to his present stature in the Christian Community.

Will someone please tell Dobson that no one is paying attention anymore?

1929!

2008-04-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Could this date be on the horizon for a repeat? Some people seem to think so. The banking business, in my humble opinion, is getting ready to take a huge hit. Good time to put some of those precious assetts into gold which I hear is past $982.00 dollars an ounce.

Some folks know where to go and guess what? It is not in the United States.

George Bush is trying to get ahead of the crisis, but friends - again in my humble opinion - he's already too late!

Making room in the jail

2008-04-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

I personally do not believe the jail is large enough to handle it's upcoming influx. In fact new facilities may have to be built to accomodate all who are eligible.

Of course I don't think this is ever going to be the case. One fish will be sacrificed for all the rest. He won't be the biggest, but he will certainly be big enough to keep everyone talking for months.

The one who's in the jail doing the talking is not the one you think. A couple of freaking blithering idiot investigators have already had a go at him. He loves the attention.

You see, even though the charges are minor, he is truly afraid of what's looming ahead. He's got all that stuff in his files and then there is his imagination ...

Now of course if he and the other occupant get together, it's amazing what two fertile imaginations can concoct...

UPDATE: It happened quickly, the last guy I mentioned has been released. This boy truly knows something...

The Current Occupant of The Jail

2008-04-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

I know .... the jail is full and has a lot of residents who are there for various reasons, but the one I'm talking about is one, that I am sure, some, would like to go away. What's all the controversy about this one prisoner?

It seems - just from reading the reports - that there are just as many interested parties who want this guy out of jail than want him in.

If he's out, is it easier to kill him? If he stays in, does he stand the chance of accidentally dying in jail?

Nevertheless, this dude is going to have a spectacular trial. If he has sold as many drugs as some say, he definitely can name names...Do you think his case will make it to trial?

Forgive me if I'm wrong about this, or do I detect that there might be a split among the ranks of law enforcement as how to handle this situation?

Let's cheer for the side that wants this prisoner to get his day in court!

Didn't I say that Don Siegelman would be back?

2008-04-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

Check out my parody - Pardon?. Siegelmann is back in play. It's only a matter of time before Democratic political operatives begin slicing and dicing the Alabama Republican party and laying blame. From the news reports, it looks like eventually Siegelmann may end up with a full pardon. Run for cover Republicans!

Full Name Posting

2008-03-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

My name is Michael H. Thomson. I put a lot of stuff out there. Some of it is rumor, some of it isn't. No matter what I put out there or in what form, my name is always prominent identifying me as the author. From now on out, postings to this site will not be published without full name disclosure. I might even go so far as to ask you for a telephone number to verify your identity. If you can't abide by these terms, don't expect your comments to be posted. Of course I will do my best to protect you by rewording some of you comments to prevent you from being sicced by lawyers or other scum.

I'm back!

2008-03-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

It was an interesting journey, but I'm back. I'm very happy to see a new probate judge appointed in Escambia County. I don't know Emilie Mims, but her background and experience indicate that Governor Riley definitely made the right choice among others he could have picked.

Due to continuing health problems, AC will hibernate for the next 90 days.

2008-02-27T10:12:00.000-08:00

It's time I give the computer a rest for a while. Thank you for you emails.

Mike Thomson.

Where to purchase "The Publisher"

2008-02-22T06:43:00.000-08:00

THE PUBLISHER

Angioplasty

2008-02-13T05:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm back. Let me explain why I was gone. I think my experience might be helpful to someone who finds themselves in a similar situation to me a few weeks ago.

About four weeks ago I had to do some work in my garage. I was very cold and I had to walk up a steep hill to get to my workplace. I noticed a tightness in my chest and some slight pain. I thought it was due to the exertion of going up the hill. It happened again the following day. I still didn't pay very much attention to it. The pain was dull and extended across my chest and across my left shoulder. Two days later, a tragic event took place in my family. Dealing with it, again I felt the pain - only worse. I asked my wife to set me up an appointment with a cardiologist. I visited the cardiologist last Thursday and he arranged for me to have an angiogram on Monday at the INOVA Heart and Vascular Institue in Fairfax, Virginia. I had previously agreed that if the angiogram revealed vascular blockage that the surgeon could go ahead and do a balloon angioplasty procedure and insert a stainless steel stent.

It turned out that I had two blockages and received two stents. I spent Monday night in the hospital and was released yesterday. Here's the deal: If I had discounted my symptoms there's a good chance I wouldn't be writing this blog today...

Until next time... To read more about angioplasty click here.

No posts for a while...

2008-02-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

There will be no posts on this blog for at least a week or a few days more than that. Keep sending you emails and correspondence. Everythings fine. I have something going on that will focus my attention 100% for the next few days.

Shocking non-fiction book about Brewton murder

2008-02-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

I came across this today on the Brewton Standard message board. It looks like a good read. Here is the excerpt that the publicist is putting everywhere:

Murder Creek: The "Unfortunate Incident" That Befell Annie Jean Barnes
ISBN: 9781579660734
Publisher: River City Publishing

In this intense true story, Joe Formichella examines all aspects of the unsolved crime that inspired Suzanne Hudson's critically acclaimed 2004 novel In a Temple of Trees. When Annie Jean Barnes died one evening in 1966 outside an exclusive hunting camp retreat near small-town Brewton, Alabama, it seemed all the wealthy town fathers were culpable. But at the behest of those who were likely responsible, the crime was swept under the rug and details ignored by investigators. The publication of Hudson's novel, however, brought the ghost of Annie Jean back to life. Joe Formichella, in classic investigative style, reopens the case and questions a multitude of crime experts, law enforcement officers, and citizens alike--including many who, so it was said, would never speak about the "unfortunate incident" of Annie Jean's death. A gripping tale of how the upper class often gets its way through violence and coercion.

It's being distributed everywhere, so you can go to any of your favorite bookstores i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc. and order it.

Shelby Opposes Landfill

2008-02-06T05:18:00.000-08:00

EVERGREEN, AL - Senator Richard Shelby addressed the concerns of Conecuh County citizens about out-of-state garbage coming into Alabama. “It is not a good image of the state to bring in garbage. We have the technology to develop and create energy where the garbage is developed. I would fight to keep a landfill out of my county also.”

When asked about water contamination issues near the existing Timberlands Landfill, Shelby had this to say:

Senator Shelby stated he was not knowledgeable of the mercury con-taminated soil being moved to the landfill in Escambia County, but he would not drink the water if he lived that close to a landfill.

A pro-landfill advocate speaks and U.S. Senator Shelby definitively reponds:

Evergreen resident Mike Fordham introduced himself as a supporter of the proposed landfill, and stated that the landfill was going to be a solid waste treatment facility for green energy. Several people in attendance objected saying this has never been proposed. Mr. Fordham said unlawful garbage dumps are a problem in this county because of the lack of garbage service, and this would be a solution. Senator Shelby answered “I don’t want garbage from New Jersey or any other state coming into Alabama. Conecuh County, and every county, should have a county-wide garbage pick-up service and the commissioners should be the ones to implement, control and support this service.”

Is Crime Being Underreported in East Brewton?

2008-02-05T05:38:00.000-08:00

These are state crime statistics from Alabama.com:

Brewton rapes 3; East Brewton rapes 0

Brewton robbery 8; East Brewton 1

Brewton assault 62; East Brewton 3

Brewton burglary 53; East Brewton 10

Brewton larceny 142; East Brewton 43

Brewton motor vehicle theft 8; East Brewton 4

Look at the startling difference between Brewton's larceny(theft) rate and East Brewton's! It would be easy to say that obviously there are more thieves in Brewton than there are in East Brewton, but checking the statistics across the state, Brewton's figures are about par - in fact a little below par when compared to a similar sized city like Jackson which had 237 larcenies for the same period. The burglary and assault rates between Brewton and East Brewton seem a little "out of whack" if you look at them closely. Is it reasonable to believe that Brewton had 59 more "ass whuppings" than East Brewton for the same period?

East Brewton residents tell Alabama Confidential a different story than is revealed in Al.com's crime stats. One writes:

So many people have had their property stolen, whether from a break in or just from someone coming right onto their premises to take it. People are constantly walking the streets at all hours of the night. My neighbor has told me several times that she has spotted people leaving the street and walking right through the middle of her yard

Another comment:

I feel that one of the big problems in this town is that you have a mayor and Chief of Police who cannot remain focused on their jobs. The mayor works in Brewton as a car salesman (yet is always asking the residents here to shop in East Brewton), and the Chief of Police is working weekends as a security guard ... in Montgomery. When the cat's away...

Is it true that there are as many as four fences in East Brewton accepting stolen goods and that some of those stolen goods are winding up in a Birmingham pawn shop owned by the brother of one of the fences? Is it also true that the money being reaped in by the stolen goods is being used for the wholesale purchase of drugs which are resold in Brewton and East Brewton?

One reader goes so far to speculate that some East Brewton police might be participants in the crime wave that is victimizing the citizens of East Brewton. That's a pretty strong charge, but indicative of the frustration residents have when faced with a logjam of unsolved crimes.

There is this final chilling reader comment:

One of my biggest fears is what is next? Right now, they are not afraid to break into homes or garages when no one is home. I feel it is only a matter of time before they break into an occupied home and, God forbid, kill someone.

Pardon?

2008-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON D.C. - Just two days after her inauguration, President Hillary Clinton issued a pardon to former Alabama governor Don Siegelman. Siegelman serving a seven year sentence on Federal corruption charges received the news the evening before while engaging in a game of squash at the federal prison in Oakdale,Louisiana.

"This comes as a complete surprise!" Siegelman commented to reporters accompanying U.S. Attorney General and ex-president Bill Clinton who personally delivered the pardon documents. Attorney General Clinton declined comment except to say, "We'll soon be changing the name on Don's cell to "prisoner Rove."

Sources close to Siegelman expected that he would soon be appointed U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama in Montgomery. Siegelman is reported commenting, "The Spanish Inquistion will look like a girl scout barbeque when I get through with those lying bastards who stuck me in this hellhole."

???????

2008-01-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

Are you brave enough to wear it? If you are, in the next couple of weeks, the new website Alabamaconfidential.com will begin. On it you can order T-shirts, coozies, books, etc. Alabamaconfidential.blogspot.com will remain,however,the primary source of gossipy information.

Just a Reminder...

2008-01-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes things happen, everybody gets excited and the crisis is averted. So it happened in October of 2004 when Edward Dubose's parole hearing was scheduled for November 1 of that year.

Edward Dubose was convicted in the murder and rape of Brewton teenager, Stephanie Marie King. After much petitioning from Sallie King[mother] and Stephanie's many friends, Edward Dubose was denied parole. Sometimes the passage of time causes things to be forgotten. Sometimes things fall through the cracks in the floor...

According to a paragraph in the Alabama Pardon and Parole policies:

11. If parole has been denied, the Board shall determine whether and when the case shall next be docketed for consideration, not to exceed five (5) years. The case will be considered again as near as practicable to the specified month and year.

The "five (5) years)" will arrive on November 1, 2009. That's next year. Here is something to consider for activists protesting Dubose's next parole hearing:

Limestone Prison where Dubose is imprisoned is experiencing severe overcrowding problems. Reportedly this month they shipped 60 prisoners to Louisiana.

MONTGOMERY — Sixty male inmates from the Limestone Correctional Facility were moved to a facility in Louisiana on Friday, the Alabama Department of Corrections said. The transfers are an effort to reduce prison overcrowding and keep state inmates out of county jails beyond the 30-day time limit.
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturd...6/briefs.shtml

These factors and time could work in Dubose's favor. It is not too early to start petitions.

It takes Guts!

2008-01-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

Those who have read my columns here or at Thomsontalks, know that I have a disdain for editorial cowardice on the part of small town newspapers - or any other kind of newspapers for that matter. This blog exists to get people talking about subjects that local papers shy away from. I can't say,however,that Bo Bolton, publisher of the Monroe Journal shys away from reporting news. He did something this past Thursday that few small town papers in this day and time would do. Bo went wading into a fight going on in a church.

According to this past Thursday's article:

Jo Ann Snowden is standing firm in refusing to release Morning Star Baptist Church financial records as long as she remains the "official church secretary." In October, the Monroeville church filed suit against Snowden, who was hired as church secretary 30 years ago, for failing to return church property including its financial records. The church said that it had made repeated requests for the return of its property from its former secretary.

There is more to this story:

In her response filed Friday in the circuit clerk's office at the Monroe County Courthouse, Snowden said she was elected to office by a vote of the church's congregation and that she cannot be removed from office or relieved of her responsibilities before her term expires except by a vote of the congregation.
"There has been no vote of the congregation taken at a duly-called and properly-conducted congregational meeting to remove defendant (Snowden) from the office of church secretary," her response says. Snowden also says that about a year ago the church leadership attempted to "bribe" her for the records. She said that on Jan. 30, 2007 the church's pastor John Tucker and Albert Mobley, chairman of the Board of Deacons, without church approval requested that she return church records in return for what she "believed to have been an offer of bribery in the amount of $2,142.74."Snowden said she returned the "alleged bribery check" about a week later and said she could not accept pay for work that she had not been allowed to perform."

My comments about Bolton are thus: Bo Bolton did what he was supposed to do. There was an issue in his town of public interest. He reported on it - no matter whose toes he stepped on. Keep watching the news, this could very well turn out to be a national story. I guess in a way it already is...

Until Next Time...

World War II Memorial - Washington, D.C.

2008-01-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

32,000 Alabamians served in World War II. 4000 died during the war.

Some of you visit Washington D.C. and more than a few of you work here. If you haven't done so, be sure to visit the National World War II Memorial which was dedicated last spring. I knew and know more than a few WWII veterans during the time I lived in Alabama. I am personally acquainted and friends with an Alabamian who survived the Bataan Death March. Paul Lankford and I served together from 1971 until 1977 and I was privileged to help him as he compiled his memoirs for the Air War College in Montgomery in 1972.

Read Paul Lankford's Story

Hats off to Jamar Travis!

2008-01-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Think of all the kids in the U.S. that play football and work their hearts out doing so. There must be millions, at least. Think of the little community of Brewton and East Brewton, Alabama. One of their own was picked with 500 others from across the U.S. and recognized in the top echelons of those aspiring to make it in this very competitive sport. He's big (6'1" - 298 lbs), He's smart (3.5 gpa), and he's fast (forty: 5.1 seconds), and he's got another year in high school to further develop his potential as a defensive tackle. With a little luck,hard work, and the Good Lord's Will, I think Jamar's name will be a household word in the homes of football loving Alabamians everywhere! Read more at Rivals.Com

Startling Religious News From Opp!

2008-01-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

This is a scary article. I hope everyone takes time to read it... From Unconfirmed Sources.

Airbus in Mobile getting closer!

2008-01-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

This in today's Seattle Times:

Airbus will play a last-ditch trump card Monday in its bid to beat Boeing for an Air Force refueling tanker contract worth tens of billions of dollars.

I spent a week in Toulouse, France about two years ago and had a chance to meet some of the EADS engineers at the Airbus plant there. If the plant comes to Alabama it will be boon for the area. More from the Seattle Times:

Chief Executive Tom Enders plans to announce that if Airbus wins the tanker competition, it also will assemble commercial airplanes in the U.S.

Enders and Alabama politicians are to announce the plan in Mobile, where the tankers would be assembled.

The Airbus proposal envisages up to four aircraft a month rolling out of a plant at Brookley Field in Mobile, a person familiar with the plan said.

Lets all keep our fingers crossed!

Why Gossip Abounds...

2008-01-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

In the two posts that precede this one, you will notice no names or places are mentioned but everyone assumes the story has validity or these posts would not have gotten over 942 hits in 3 days. Many of the visitors are from out of the state of Alabama. On my web tracking program, I can see where some people read the columns and forwarded them on to people out of town and in many cases to people in other states. Here are a couple of comments:

You didn't tell the whole story. You neglected to mention who was chasing whom, and why they were chasing (which is how the telephone pole was hit). Perhaps your 'source' didn't know that part.

Obviously, the above came from someone who has "inside" information. Is it relevant "who was chasing whom?" People chasing each other with alcohol in them on the streets of a small town are pretty dangerous. Here's another comment:

I noticed your article on the party and I think your out of line here. There were dui charges filed and things are not as you would seem.

Another person with "inside" information. Is there a public record on these charges? DUI is a pretty serious offense. Did these arrests make the local paper?

Transparency is a term used a lot these days. Gossip abounds in the absence of transparency. When city and county officials in any jurisdiction make it difficult for citizens to obtain public information - transparency does not exist. When newspapers, radio, and tv stations fail to investigate and report on situations involving public safety and the common good of a community - transparency does not exist.

I spoke recenty with a person who for several years was involved in with a news company that owned several small hometown papers throughout the country. She said one of the reasons these papers did not report "real" news was their vunerability to their major advertisers i.e if you tick off one of your major advertisers, you could go out of business. While I can understand that argument somewhat,there are many aggressive "independent" small town newspapers that could rival their big city brothers and sisters in going after the news. These independents realize that it is real news that draws advertisers.

I'm in the gossip business. In the absence of "real news" people come to me with stories and tales. Some have validity and some don't. In most cases the "tale" has been circulating long before it reaches Alabama Confidential. I wouldn't write it if you didn't read it. Keep those emails coming!

Just a sampling the places linking on to this site by forwarded email links today:

Mobile
Nashville
River Falls
Brewton
Houston
Mary Esther
Woodstock,Al
Pensacola
St Louis
Birmingham
Philadelphia,Pa
Monroeville
Leominister,Mass
Miami
Bay Minette
Milton,FL
McIntosh,AL
Jay
Atmore
Eufala
Montgomery
Singapore[Wow!]
Columbia,SC
Hattiesburg,MS
Campo,Colorado
Tampa,FL
New Bern,NC

The most interesting email link to my site today was from someone at the national organization of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Some of you are concerned about the safety of your children or loved ones with so many drunks and dopeheads driving on the streets these days. Small towns have always been plagued with what is commonly known as "selective" enforcement of driving laws. Mothers against Drunk Driving seeks even,fair, and aggressive enforcement of DUI laws. These people are "tigers" on this issue. If you think your community needs help or maybe you wish to form a local chapter, here is some contact information:

Address: MADD National Office
511 E. John Carpenter Frwy
Suite 700
Irving, TX 75062
Phone: 800-GET-MADD (800-438-6233)
Local 214-744-6233
Victim Services 24-Hour Help Line
877-MADD-HELP (877-623-3435)

Fax: 972-869-2206/07

Many of you are starting to realize that we truly live in a global community. You might be disillusioned to know that sometimes what happens in "Vegas" does not necessarily stay there. Analyze the biggest crime, corruption, and tawdry human interest stories that appear on CNN,Fox,and MSNBC. The majority come from small towns. The internet,blogs,cell,satellite communication,and low cost long distance service have changed our lives and made even the most remote places in the world highly accessible. So why is it that some people think a small town in Alabama can be "hidden" forever?

Mike Thomson (Just one of the 342 people from out of state[who've been to AC in the last 3 days] who are interested in what goes on in a certain town).

Until next time...

The Queen Bee

2008-01-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

There once was a paper in a little town,
Who wrote upbeat news as the city melt down.
“Keep it happy and chirpy, the editor said.
make sure we don’t offend the “Queen Bee...”

The Queen Bee’s on her throne and she’s not alone,
her court has shot glasses in hand.
“All hail to the Queen, who we know is not mean,
her booze is the best in the land.”

The police are in bars ignoring wrecked cars,
as drunks careen down the highways.
The Chief doesn’t care as he sits in his chair,
thinking of the Queen’s chocolate soufflés.

Off in the night, citizens sleep in their beds,
unsure of what the morning may bring.
Their town that they love suffers bad moral health,
and there’s no leader in place to provide zing.

Another tale from Alabama's lawless town of the idle rich.

2008-01-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

Alabama Confidential reporters have been scouring for holiday news in one of our favorite small towns. This story came our way and it's a doozy. It seems that a socialite in this town hosted a party associated with a wedding. According to one of my sources, whose brother was at the party, the highlight of the evening were the trendy ice cube shot glasses. Cold straight booze gulped very quickly can make a person very drunk. Here's the gossip as a result of this drunkedness among the privileged young invitees to this upscale soiree:

(1) One guest attempting to leave the party struck and caused property damage to five vehicles.

(2) Another guest driving up B.... Avenue struck a telephone pole and thankfully there were no injuries.

(3) Another female guest was found In flagrante delicto in the bushes with someone who wasn't her husband.

(4) Another totally passed out person - who even the guests could not identify - was checked into a local motel to sober up.

(5) The police chief was at the party and made sure all the loose ends were neatly tied up. There were no DUI charges filed.

Just another tale about how the privileged skate the law in a wealthy small town in south Alabama. I wonder if there were any drugs present?

People called complaining about the noise at the party and the police chief assured them he had the situation in hand. Heh,heh,heh.

If one of the drunken drivers leaving the party had collided and killed someone - maybe a teenager, what would have been the fallout?

I'm wondering how deep the police chief is in the pocket of the wealthy in this small town? How about his recent ski trip to Colorado? Did he pay for that himself? Is this protector of the people headed for a fall?

Given the identity of the person behind the wheel of the car crash in item (2), was there any effort on the part of the mayor to suppress DUI charges?

And the hostess of this train wreck of a party? Will she retain her cherished "queen bee" status as a result of this debacle? Alabama Confidential will let you know.

More Juicy Holiday Gossip:

Who was the well known entrepreneur who flies his ex-wife in his personal aircraft to a football game in Tuscaloosa, then in front of friends, accuses her of doing the "monica" to a certain person? He then abandons the woman and flies back home leaving her stranded at the football game. Poor J... Oh by the way, according to other sources, the guy who got the "monica" was the same guy who wrecked the 5 cars in (1). Everything in small towns is connected...

until next time...

Church Usher's Run

2007-12-28T15:12:00.000-08:00

This story is old, but it's funny. Because of the identities of those involved and the need for discretion, the pages of Alabama Confidential are the best place to tell the tale.

If you are from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, or any other place in the South, you know the conflicts and attitudes about drinking booze of any kind. I call it the "Baptist Influence." Really, that is being unfair to the Baptists, because many denominations in the South have the same prejudices against partaking alcoholic beverages. The story I'm going to relate is a tale of four young men who boldly defied the prevailing attitude of the time - right in their own church. Well - maybe not exactly "in" the church.

It's okay to mention the town in this story because there are enough churches there that it would be impossible to figure out where the deed took place. The Episcopal and Catholic churches - because of their more liberal attitudes towards booze - are excluded from this tale...

Brewton, Alabama is the town and the church shall go nameless except to say it's a good place to be seen by the connected.

Like all churches, seating the congregation and collecting their money falls on the shoulders of the ushers. These men and women perform a critical function for any church. Leading the elderly to their pews, controlling the lines to the communion rail, making sure everyone has an opportunity to put their donation in the collection plate, and being on standby for the needs of the pastor are just a few of the functions of the usher. Each church does it different. Sometimes the designated ushers are rotated each Sunday and sometimes the same ones do the job every Sunday.

According to my corroborated sources, these,young, fairly good looking men did the task so often that they were familiar with the length of the service and all of its variances down to the minute. All the young men were below the age of 18 and were students at the local high school.

The largest gap in time during any church service is the time from the beginning of the sermon until the dismissal. Usually this takes from 30 minutes to an hour, depending upon the church. In this church the time was approximately 45 minutes for no other reason than to give the congregation a good head start in racing a larger congregation from down the street to Brewton's favorite buffet line. The young ushers had the time down.

We will never know which of the four teenagers started the tradition that contributed to their fame or better said, infamy, but here's how it went:

In Century, Florida near the point of the Alabama line, there was a beer joint. Not an ordinary beer joint, but one that had package sales through a drive-in window and sold beer on Sundays. At the time there was no such establishment in Brewton due to blue laws. The proprietor of the establishment didn't care about the ages of his customers and had no ethical problem with selling beer to underage young men.

Depending on the route, from Brewton to said beer joint in Century, a person driving a good fast car could be there in fifteen minutes. Breaking the speed limit, one could be there much faster. A round trip would take at least 30 minutes depending on legal speed.

So this became the game of the four ushers: Leaving the church at the beginning of the sermon and being back before they were needed at the dismissal, as well as chug-a-lugging, Lord knows how many beers.

Two of the ushers have turned out well as adults and two not so well. How long the usher's run lasted no one could tell me, but it leaves one question. Did the departing congregation think the "beery" smell in their church at the end of the sermon was a new type of shave lotion?

Drivers be careful when you're driving in the late morning hours of a Sunday on U.S. 29. You might be blown off the road by four young men on an "usher's run"

Another People's Republic of China Outlet Store to Open in Brewton

2007-12-26T04:02:00.000-08:00

This from China Daily about the store who's slogan is "always low prices." A store who will open a new retail center soon in Brewton,Alabama.

The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, says its inventory of stock produced in China is expected to hit US$18 billion this year, keeping the annual growth rate of over 20 per cent consistent over two years.

The trend is expected to continue, company officials revealed.

"We expect our procurement stock from China to continue to grow at a similar rate in line with Wal-Mart's growth worldwide, if not faster," said Lee Scott, the president and CEO (chief executive officer) of Wal-Mart.

An unnamed company official also stated the firm will extend its procurement base from South China's Pearl River Delta to the North and East China in the coming few years.

A market rumour says the retailer has its eyes on a 340,000-square metre warehouse at a logistics garden of the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Bonded Area.

Scott covertly visited the site earlier this month, and hopes to own the whole warehouse to accommodate the firm's further expansion in China.

At present, Wal-Mart has quite limited warehouse resources in East China.

Xu Jun, Wal-Mart China's director of external affairs, ruled out the rumour, saying the CEO has never visited that or any other site for a warehouse.

Nevertheless, he said China is Wal-Mart's most important supplier in the world. The overseas procurement home office in Shenzhen, a city of South China's Guangdong Province, has played a key role in the firm's global purchasing business.

Wal-Mart shifted its overseas procurement centre from Hong Kong to Shenzhen in February 2002 to better serve the purchasing and exporting business.

"If Wal-Mart were an individual economy, it would rank as China's eighth-biggest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia and Canada," Xu said.

By the end of September, 2004, the top seven trading partners to the Chinese mainland are the European Union, the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), South Korea and China's Taiwan Province, state statistics from the Ministry of Commerce.

Last year, the firm bought US$15 billion products from China, half from direct purchasing, the other from the firm's suppliers in China.

More than 5,000 Chinese enterprises have established steady supply alliances with Wal-Mart.

Good quality and low price are the major attractions of the retailing giant.

Insiders point out Wal-Mart's imports from China have largely influenced the US trade deficit in China, which is expected to reach US$150 billion this year.

Xu declined to comment if the anti-dumpling measures of the US Department of Commerce have impacted the firm's procurement of textile commodities and household appliances in China, saying again that China is an important sourcing base for the firm.

So far, more than 70 per cent of the commodities sold in Wal-Mart are made in China.

Experts say Wal-Mart's plan of increasing its procurement from China has granted the firm a positive corporate reputation in the country.

"Buying more products in China means more job opportunities, which helps the firm win not only the government's hearts, but also the customers' appreciations," said Wang Yao, director of information department under the China General Chamber of Commerce.

In the United States, poor people find it possible to afford cheap "Made In China" products for their daily necessities, Wang said.

Wal-Mart, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, entered China in 1996. It has opened 39 stores, including supercenters, "Sam's Clubs" and neighborhood markets in 15 cities around China, including Beijing, Harbin and Dalian.

It has recently announced the opening of its first store in Shanghai, slated for the middle of next year.

The firm has a total of 4,900 stores in 10 countries worldwide.

FROM THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE:

China's entry into the World Trade Organization was supposed to improve the U.S. trade deficit with China and create good jobs in the United States. But those promises have gone unfulfilled: the total U.S. trade deficit with China reached $235 billion in 2006. Between 2001 and 2006, this growing deficit eliminated 1.8 million U.S. jobs (Scott 2007). The world's biggest retailer, U.S.-based Wal-Mart was responsible for $27 billion in U.S. imports from China in 2006 and 11% of the growth of the total U.S. trade deficit with China between 2001 and 2006. Wal-Mart's trade deficit with China alone eliminated nearly 200,000 U.S. jobs in this period.

Here We Go Again! Who vandalized the Golf Carts?

2007-12-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

The ever diligent Brewton Standard reports today of the apprehension and arrest of three teens who allegedly vandalized property at T.R. Miller High School. Everybody is in on this one. Brewton police chief Monte McGougin says:

The acts committed by the suspects are ones law enforcement officials find senseless, McGougin said. “This is something we simply are not going to tolerate,” McGougin said. “We will investigate any acts of vandalism and work to arrest those responsible for this type of activity.”

Then Brewton City School Superintendent Lynn Smith says:

Brewton City Schools Superintendent Lynn Smith said Friday he had not received a full report about the individuals charged in the case. “I haven't gotten any statement from the police on who the vandals are,” Smith said. “We will be waiting on a full report from them to determine what action we will be taking in the matter.”

Obviously these kids aren't as connected to the system as the ones involved in the Brewton Country Club vandalism several months ago which (unless it was done very quietly and out of the public eye) hasn't been solved. Here is that story:

(May 2)A Sunday morning discovery by workers at the Brewton Country Club has sparked an investigation concerning the vandalism of more than 25 golf carts.

“There are between 25 and 30 golf carts involved in this vandalism situation,” said Robert Lynn, Brewton Country Club manager. “I don’t want to give too much information, because I don’t want to jeopardize the investigation that would get these kids arrested.”

Lynn said Brewton Police were contacted on Sunday morning and Sgt. Eric Suarez was the investigating officer with the department.

Suarez said the department made the initial investigation and assessed the damage to the grounds and golf carts at the club.

“We went out and made a report about the vandalism situation at the Country Club,” Suarez said. “Workers at the Club arrived at work on Sunday morning to find the golf carts had been taken from the shed where they are stored. We found that the greens had been run over by the carts and some of them were wrecked where they were run into each other. We even found some of the carts stuck in the sand traps on the golf course.”

Suarez said since the Country Club is located outside the city limits of Brewton that the case has been turned over to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department for further investigation.

“We have done all that we can in the case,” Suarez said. “Since it is in the County’s jurisdiction, we turned any further investigation in the case over to the Sheriff’s office.”

Cameron Fillingin is the investigating officer for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.

“We are still investigating this case,” Fillingin said. “I won’t be able to release any additional information until the investigation is complete.”

So what happened with the golf cart vandalism investigation? Did it get solved? Was it ever in the paper again?

New Chapters added to fictional online serial novel about a modern secessionist movement

2007-12-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have added two chapters to the online fictional serial novel, "Southern Split." Learn how a major city can be shut down with 45 motorcycles and special flashlights. Read the five completed chapters of Southern Split.

Feel free to contribute story ideas by emailing me at miket@thomsontalks.com.

"Nobodies" in Alabama get Busted for Drugs while "Somebodies" skate free

2007-12-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

In almost every city in Alabama you read about the such and such "Drug Task Force" arresting some "nobody" for drug possession or distribution. That's very good and I applaud it because I think illegal and some legal drugs are the bane of American society.

Steroid abuse has become so common place in all sports that most fans grudingly accept it, causing me to wonder why baseball, football, and certain track and field events don't just set up different leagues and classifications for steroid and non-steriod athletes. If the steriod users want shorter lifespans in trade for weight gain and hitting the ball out of the park consistently so be it. Forget the argument about being role models for kids - it's not convincing. Pull your 15 year old football player,baseball player,soccer player,or high school weightlifter into the den for a chat. Do they know any of their peers who take steroids? You betcha! Have they ever thought about taking steroids - be tipped off by the nervous foot shuffle.

We live in a culture where drugs are becoming more and more acceptable. The police and enforcers of drug law are conflicted. They want to do a good job of ridding Alabama society of marijuana,cocaine(crack and powder),and certainly want to shut down methamphetamine production and distribution, but struggle with the issue of going after the "big fish" in their town and locality who regularly use drugs,check in frequently to rehab centers, and feel they are "untouchable" and immune from the force of the law. These "untouchables" may be attorneys, county commissioners, wealthy mill and plant owners, and successful business people. It's okay for them to use drugs, but not so for the "scum."

So what does Law do? To make good theatre for the law abiding folks who are in every Alabama community, the drug task force goes after "nobody" scum that everybody would suspect would be on or selling drugs anyway. It's called the "path of least resistance" and it keeps them out of trouble with their bosses who play golf and suck up to the "somebodies," who, by the way, prefer their cocaine powdered.

If I ain't telling the truth, shoot me!

More Growth for South Alabama

2007-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

At last Brookley Field in Mobile is getting something worthwhile.

With the Thyssen-Krupp steel mill headed for the Mobile area, Mobile is soon going to be the hottest ticket in the southland. But there's more! This from German paper Spiegel Online:

According to a report in the Monday edition of the Munich daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, Airbus is looking into building a final assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. The prerequisite for such a move, the paper reports, is a contract for 180 refueling aircraft the United States Air Force has tendered. Airbus is competing against Boeing for the sale, and a final decision won't be made until the beginning of next year. Airbus is targeting the relatively poor state of Alabama in an effort to win political support for its bid.

Were it to win the contract, Airbus would modify the passenger jet A330 to meet the US military's requirements. The factory would also be able to produce the civilian version of the plane, resulting in massive exchange-rate savings to Airbus. Because the plane-maker sells its products in dollars, a $0.10 change in the exchange rate cuts a €1 billion (nearly $1.5 billion) hole in the Airbus bottom line. Furthermore, the company's Power 8 savings program, announced earlier this year, is based on an exchange rate of $1.35 to the euro.

Recent drops in the dollar's value have led Airbus CEO Thomas Enders to warn that more savings measures may be on the way. On Monday, the euro climbed down further from last week's high of just under $1.50 and was trading at $1.466.

Full text of interview between David Gow of British newspaper The Guardian and representative of Marketplace business publication, David Krizer. This was published earlier this month:

Doug Krizner: European plane maker Airbus is reportedly considering a new factory in Alabama. A weak dollar and a soaring euro are the reasons why.

Let's bring in David Gow from London's Guardian newspaper. David, you describe this as the chief of Airbus issuing a wake-up call for Europe.

David Gow: Those were the words he used. He said that Europe has to wake up to the decline of the dollar and the impact that this has on European industry and manufacturing in particular. That it's going to force companies to outsource or relocate more and more of its production to the dollar zone.

Krizner: Now, is the relationship between the dollar and the euro a life-threatening situation for Airbus, do you think?

Gow: Yes. Because basically, every 10 cents fall in the value of the dollar costs Airbus 1 billion euros, which in American terms is the equivalent of $1.4-$1.5 billion.

Krizner: So you are reporting in your article for the Guardian that Airbus officials are confirming that they are considering a plan to set up this new factory in Alabama. What would they produce there?

Gow: First of all, they would produce, if they win the Pentagon contract for these air-to-air refueling planes, they would build them there. But at the same time, they could also build parts for planes which would be destined for the U.S. airlines.

Krizner: So I want to zero in here. What you're saying, then, is that this entire move toward Alabama is contingent upon Airbus winning the Pentagon contract, or not?

Gow: That's right. There's a huge -- it's one of the biggest lobbying campaigns in aerospace that the military in America you've seen for many, many a year. Supposedly, a decision will be taken early next year.

Krizner: David Gow is business report for The Guardian in London. We've been speaking to him this morning from Brussels. David, thanks so much.

Gow: OK, thank you!

Hats off to the Monroe Journal

2007-12-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

Truthfully, during the 12 years I lived in south Alabama I didn't read the Monroe Journal very often. That is not to say that I didn't have the opportunity. As a military recruiter during the first 4 of those 12 years, I was in Monroeville every Thursday to bring in applicants for Military Entrance Processing tests at George B. "Buster" Singleton's National Guard Armory. I say it belonged to Buster because he ruled the place with an iron hand. I enjoyed listening to Buster's observations on local history,particularly his authoritative knowledge of William Weatherford, so I didn't have too much time to read the Journal. However given that George is a contributing writer to the Monroe Journal, I suppose I had more exposure than I realized.

Even though I grew up in Tennessee and currently live in Virginia near Washington D.C., my heart adopted Alabama long ago. I keep up with what is going on in the state by reading online editions of papers such as the Montgomery Advertiser, Mobile Register, Brewton Standard, Atmore Advance, and for the last year, The Monroe Journal.

I would include the Tri-City Ledger in Flomaton/Century, but unfortunately outstanding journalist and publisher Joe Thomas does not have a web presence.

With the Monroe Journal I have been particularly impressed by the courageous stand they have taken in their reporting on the proposed Conecuh Woods Landfill. I say courageous because landfill interests have a lot of money to either buy out or stifle opposition. In some communities in America it's literally citizens against the mob.

I became interested in the Monroe Journal because of their landfill stories, but I have become hooked on their other stories as well and their objective "letters to the editor" section i.e. they are confident enough in their own skin to subject themselves to reader criticism. This paper, folks, packs as much wallop in it's once a week paper as some of the surrounding papers manage to get out in six weeks.

Hats off to a fine paper and a great tradition of unbiased reporting!

Have Pro-Landfill Forces Politicized the Battle?

2007-12-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

The proposed Conecuh Woods Landfill in rural southwest Alabama will be the largest landfill in the United States when completed. Up until now, the citizens engaged in opposition to the landfill have more or less been involved in a fair fight. With a change in public relations firms, from the Patrick Slevin Group of Tallahassee, Florida to Matrix LLC of Montgomery, the dynamic has changed tremendously. Below is a post I wrote for the Stop The Conecuh Woods Landfill blog:

With the defacto mouthpiece of the Conecuh Woods Landfill being a former Alabama Democratic State Executive Director, has Conecuh Woods politicized the process? Does this mean that Democratic Chairmen in Monroe, Escambia, and Conecuh counties have been enlisted in the big money fight to bring an environmental atrocity to Southwest Alabama? If you are opposed to the landfill and live in one of the most affected counties mentioned above, you might want to ask your local Democratic chairman if they are opposed to the landfill or for it. You might want to ask them what their relationship is to Conecuh Woods mouthpiece and former State Democratic Executive Director, Phillip Kinney.

In case you don't know who your local Democratic chairmen are, I am happy to provide contact information for you:

Conecuh: The Honorable Tommy Chapman home: 251-578-1406 work 251-578-4977

Monroe: Mr. Milton Coxwell home 251-743-4055 work 251-575-2146

Escambia: Mr. Reo Kirkland Jr. home 251-578-5115 work 251-867-5711

Just so you don't think that I am invading these gentleman's privacy by publishing their phone numbers, this information is easily accessible on the State Democratic website.

What's going on at the Escambia County Jail?

2007-12-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

"There wasn't a melee. Mr. Presley slipped and fell and hit his head on the floor," he said. "They're after money. That's what a lawsuit is." Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith responding to allegations of prisoner abuse in pending federal lawsuit.

The plaintiff's attorney, Charles Morris III, attempting to show a chronology of "systemic" problems at the jail, cites over 20 news articles in the Mobile Register:

"When you read the records, you'd have to answer that question, 'yes.' They've had problems back to '93," he said. "They have people breaking out of jail. They have people breaking into jail. They've had indictments of inmates. They've had indictments of staff. They're sorely understaffed."

The plaintiff, Rodney Stewart Presley, has filed suit asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for head injuries he sustained in a melee in June of 2006. Presley was a pre-trial detainee at the time for a charge of burglary which was later dropped.

Also named in the suit against Sheriff Grover Smith is the Escambia County Commission.

According to a story in the Mobile Register by staff reporter, Brendan Kirby:

A federal magistrate judge in Mobile on Wednesday[November 28] ordered Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith to provide records about his jail's policies to a Bay Minette man who is suing over injuries he suffered at the jail last year.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bert Milling Jr. ruled that Rodney Stewart Presley must use the Policy and Procedures Manual for the lawsuit only and cannot give it to anyone other than his attorney and expert witnesses who might testify.

Milling also ruled that Smith and the Escambia County Commission can have access to Presley's medical records, but they likewise must keep the information confidential.

Stay tuned, this promises to be serious for Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith.

Are you a Secessionist?

2007-11-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

Strange question isn't it? Surprisingly a growing number of people are. It's a natural tendency for humans when life gets too complex to wish to escape. Southern secessionist see federal laws, judicial mandates, and multinational corporations destroying the land of cotton, magnolias, and pecans. They may have a point. The South I grew up in is not the South I live in today. It's not just the South, but the rest of the country as well that is laboring under discontent.

Recently in Chattanooga,Tennessee, Southern secessionists and Northern secessionist met to consolidate forces. Now the Northern secessionist differ radically from the Southern secessionists. The secessionists from New England and New York, not surprisingly, are more liberal, easy going, tree hugging folks who have had enough of the United States government playing "mommy" with their lives. According to recent polls 13% of the population of Vermont wishes to secede from the United States. See Article in Boston Globe.

In the South the biggest secessionist organization is the League of the South based in Alabama and led by Dr.J.Michael Hill (pictured above) of Killen,Alabama.

During the first week of October, 2007, both Northern and Southern secessionists, seeing more commonality than differences, had a consensus of opinion which resulted in the Chattanooga Declaration.

Stay tuned!

Racism at Georgia Pacific?

2007-11-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Brunswick Georgia is a few hundred miles from Brewton,Alabama. Yet Brewton, Al and Brunswick, Georgia have Georgia Pacific operations in their towns. Recently - in Brunswick - Allegations were made that Georgia Pacific Lumber Division had reverted to the past and had a "White's only" toilet. Folks, I'm only reporting something I've seen on the web. Read the story yourself. A Whites-only Bathroom on the First Coast

Joe

2007-10-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

He’s tall and lean and some say mean and to all he’s rather vile. His stock and trade is extorting, you see, and that’s why he has a file - on people he knows and some that he don’t,and on their evil deeds unseen.

Joe grew up with many of wealth and worked to get in close with them all. Watching and waiting, then jubilating for each, who had less than a virtuous fall. With a smile full of grace, and friend to their face, truth is, Joe hates each and everyone of them all.

He’s conned the best and wooed the rest trying to convince them that he’s good. He claims that he’s smart and sometimes acts the part, but no one really does know,because what he’s done to his brain with booze and cocaine makes for a really dumb show.

The bars of a cell may be his final Hell in a world he can’t dominate, but wait,he's found Jesus he says ...., but, friends, is this meeting too late? No friends he has left, and some say he’s turning to Meth, I’m afraid soon they’ll be slamming the gate…

Prophecy?

2007-09-13T03:47:00.000-07:00

There is all sorts of trouble in South Alabama over landfills. Residents of Conecuh, Monroe, and Escambia County are trying to keep a Florida group from establishing the largest landfill in the United States in Conecuh County. Meanwhile, leakage problems seemed to have occurred in the existing Timberlands landfill in Escambia County. There are sure to be lawsuits and more problems in the future associated with these two landfills.

In 2003, long before these issues boiled to the surface (no pun intended), I wrote a fictional novel about a murder of a young teenager in a fictitious city (Crawfordville) in south Alabama. A subplot of that story concerned the danger posed by a nearby landfill. Here is an excerpt from the introduction to Chapter Nine. Did I foretell the future?

Crawfordville, Alabama – the present

The landfill was located in the northeastern portion of Big Creek County. It covered just less than 300 acres. The popular former state executive who owned the landfill had seen to it, prior to leaving office that the Big Creek County Environmental Corporation got every break it legally could in the permitting process. Consequently, the Big Creek County Landfill had the largest daily tonnage capacity of any of the thirty state permitted landfills in Alabama. 2500 tons a day of solid waste doesn’t seem like much until you convert the figure to 5,000,000 pounds per day extended to 1,800,000,000 pounds per year. Given that Big Creek County had a population of only 30, 000 that figured out to 167 pounds of trash per day per resident of the county.

Big Creek County Environmental Corporation would bankrupt itself if it had to depend on Big Creek County and its various municipalities to supply 2500 tons of trash per day, so various arrangements and contracts had been made with 24 other Alabama counties; 4 counties in Florida, and 8 counties in Mississippi and Texas to make up the difference. Eighteen wheelers rolled to the Big Creek Landfill from all directions. Trash from Pensacola, Mobile, Montgomery, Houston and even trash from the casinos in Biloxi and Gulfport made its way to Crawfordville on a daily basis. From five miles in all directions the rich soured scent of the landfill was present and pervasive. Highway damage and increased levels of spilled trash on the right-of -way had become a problem. The quality of personnel manning the landfill was a much bigger problem, however, than spilled trash...

The landfill was self-monitored. Ideally each truck carrying solid waste into the fill was inspected and weighed with any illegal waste being turned away. Prohibited hazardous waste and medical wastes made their way into the Big Creek County Landfill for an "under the table" fee. Once a local environmental activist complained and she was hounded out of town for being a "nutcase". The politicized Environmental Protection Agency was called in to investigate, but would not release their findings until a Montgomery based environmental watchdog group sued. The EPA investigation was summed up as, Question: "Did you fellows break the law?" Answer: "No we didn't break any laws." EPA response: "Well that sounds good enough for us, sorry to bother you." The EPA declared the case closed without ever testing the landfill, performing any stakeouts or surveillance, nor conducting any type of investigation.

Meanwhile, in the landfill itself, a concoction of toxic chemicals, organics, and trace metals had conglomerated themselves into a mixture known as a plume that was seeping towards an unexpected crack in the low permeable liner of the landfill. Below the liner was the water table. Crawfordville was downstream and eleven miles away....

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Joe Scarborough - Almost an Alabamian

2007-06-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

One of the freshest funny faces I have seen on TV lately is Joe Scarborough of the new MSNBC "Morning Joe" which fills the 6am to 9pm morning time slot formerly held by the fallen Don Imus. I say Joe is almost an Alabamian because he is very proud of graduating from the University of Alabama in 1985. He will frequently and spontaneously erupt with a "Roll Tide" shout during the show.

On the show, the former Florida Congressman, shares the set with two co-hosts who not well known -for now - have a good amount of chemistry with Joe. While Mika Brzezenski and Willie Geist are not widely known,they are definitely breaking out of the shadow of their famous parents - Zbigniew Brzezenski, former National Security Advisor to Jimmy Carter and Bill Geist - regular commentator or CBS Sunday and Sixty Minutes.

Scarborough has another show on MSNBC called "Scarborough Country" which is very political in nature but not nearly as funny as "Morning Joe." While there is a lot of politics discussed on the show, Joe comes across more as a conservative free thinker than a lockstep Bush Republican - even though there is no doubt that he was there once.

Joe frequently appears on the show attired in a uniform someone from Lower Alabama or the Florida Panhandle can identify with - blue oxford shirt without tie and not tucked in, dark trousers and loafers without socks. He gives an easy going image of a party getting ready to happen.

I didn't think anyone could replace Imus for that time slot, but Joe is doing well with it. I think the reason for his success is because he's working at being "Joe" and not "Imus."

The National I.D. Card is here - But, did you know it?

2007-06-07T05:02:00.000-07:00

Starting in May, 2008 you will need a federally approved ID card to travel by air, open a bank account, apply for your social security benefits, or use most government services. President Bush signed The Real ID Act in 2005 and states have until May 11, 2008 to be in compliance.

In Alabama, your national/real ID will take the form of your state driver's license which will not really be a state driver's license anymore. It will be a Homeland Security ID card. To get the new identification your old ID will have to be recertified. This means that you, your grandma, Uncle Charlie, and God knows who else will have to make a personal visit to a state office with certified birth certificates, current U.S. Passport, Social Security Card, and proof of address. The state will have to certify these certificates are real, digitize them, and store them permanently.

Once everyone's personal information is on file, then the Department of Homeland Security will require Alabama to set up an information database that will be shared by ALL states to allow information verification.

There will be a barcode on the back of the ID which will allow bars, banks, airlines, and so to swipe through card readers. Instantly upon implementation of the Real ID there will be a new kind of second class citizen - those who do not possess a card. The following is from a website that is devoted entirely to opposing the new ID card requirement:

If it's possible to create a scheme worse than a national ID card, this is it: a privatized National ID card. The citizens of every state will not only be at the mercy of a company like ChoicePoint or Acxiom to 'approve' their identity, but will have no privacy protections whatsoever on that data. Your sensitive drivers license data can be bought and sold along with everything else these companies sell, such as your credit information. The federal government can then gain access to this information without having to comply with any laws, such as the Privacy Act.

DHS is granting the right to control our identity to private industry. It will be Identity-Mart, Inc.: Always Low Privacy, Always.™ Congress needs to take immediate action to stop this travesty.

Do you remember those movies from the Cold War about Eastern Bloc Communist Countries that required a national ID? The cold eyed security agent would approach the hero and say the dreaded words, "Show me your identity documents!"

Alabama citizens, starting next year, will be in the same pickle.

Until next time...

The Gutless Attack on Lou Dobbs by the Liberal Southern Poverty Law Center

2007-05-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who is a writer for the Partial Observer expressed to me his fears of writing certain articles because of fear of being intimidated by people on his job. It seems there is an overkill against the exercise of free speech by certain groups in this country. It's been going on for a long time, but now the practice of crucifying free speakers and free writers seems to be escalating. Shock Jock Don Imus - who among other things is one of America's leading charitable fundraisers was carried to the gallows by Al Sharpton and company. Opie and Anthony who said crude vulgar things about the Queen, Hillary, and Conoleeza Rice were suspended this week because of their words.

Now, Alabama's "fine" Southern Poverty Law Center has launched a full scale attack on CNN host Lou Dobbs because he brought to the attention of the American Public the rise in certain uncommon diseases that have accompanied illegal aliens into this country. One of those diseases is Leprosy. The SPLC has gone on a tirade against Dobbs impuning his integrity and accusing him of outright lying about the illegal immigration situation in this country.

Alabamians - if you look around and think back about 15 years, do you think Dobbs is exaggerating the illegal immigration situation in this country?

Morris Dees who founded the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery is one of the most artful fundraisers in the "stir the sympathy" business. He once won a lawsuit for a black lady against the KKK. The settlement was less than $60,000. Dees, however, in a solicitation letter based on the same case was able to raise several million dollars in fundraising. The man is shameless.

He is now setting his sights on Lou Dobbs - the only person in America who has brought the public the truth about illegal immigration. Will Dobbs go the way of Don Imus? We'll see...

Until next time...

From today's news:

Illegal Immigration Timebomb

Alabama may seize property of illegal aliens

Are illegals going to cause us all to have a communistic national ID Card?

Illegals trying to vote in Alabama?

From Cotton to Steel - Change is coming to South Alabama!

2007-05-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

"Some days are diamond and some days are gold," says Governor Bob Riley quoting a Bob Denver song, when hearing the announcement of Alabama getting the ThyssenKrupp steel processing facility which will be located in Mount Vernon, Alabama.

How much is a billion dollars? Think of it this way, Alabama's annual budget is about 18 billion dollars give or take a few hundred million dollars(I'm not great with numbers - as I'm a Tennessee graduate). With that 18 billion all government in the state of Alabama is funded.

The ThyssenKrupp plant is a big deal. ThyssenKrupp is putting a $3.7 billion dollar investment into the area. That's about 18% of the Alabama budget. And that's not all - the plant will employee 2,700 workers and MORE - the construction phase will create 29,000 new jobs. Over twenty years the plant will create as many as 60,000 jobs not directly related to the plant facility.

Michael Rademacher, Vice Chairman and CFO of ThyssenKrupp Stainless, said. “This facility represents the largest investment in the history of ThyssenKrupp Stainless. While our direct entry to the US market is perhaps a bold step, it is also a logical and forward-looking one. The stainless steel market throughout the NAFTA region offers significant potential, and we are now poised to further strengthen our position.”

Money! Money! Money! More people moving into the area! More housing construction. Every small city within 100 miles of Mount Vernon will be impacted directly and indirectly by the decision made in Dusseldorf, Germany. Mount Vernon is about 87 commuting miles from Brewton, Alabama and 54 commuting miles from Atmore, Alabama.

I grew up in a town that has a 3500 employee aluminum plant. Alcoa Aluminum impacts cities up and down the Tennessee Valley. ThyssenKrupp will do the same thing. The Alabama automobile manufacturering market will be impacted and influenced to move closer to the steel! Expansion and more car manufacturers are likely on their way because of this development.

Population growth, economic growth, and cultural changes will create new demands on old stale county and city governments. While it be beneficial for most, the change will be painful for some as the region is delivered into the 21st Century.

I live in Loudoun County, Virginia, the wealthiest county in the United States. Our roads are packed along with our schools and hospitals. We have sections of Northern Virginia that look like Saigon, Calcutta, and Tijuana. In a scaled down way, the same thing will happen to south Alabama. There's no hiding place from change - you better get used to it. It's been a long time coming.

Hats off to Governor Riley and the hard working team that made this happen!

Check the ThyssenKrupp website for employment and vendor opportunities.

Until next time...

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Mexicans and Drugs in Alabama

2007-05-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

Juan Carlos Ayala is on the Drug Enforcement Agency's Most Wanted List for conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine (meth). Juan is from Mexico. His last known address was not in California, Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas. His last known address was at the Quail Run Apartments in Florence, Alabama. The New Orleans Field Division of the DEA has a most wanted list of drug fugitives in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Before you read on - click on the DEA link - and look at the names and faces of the DEA's most wanted. The majority are Mexican - if you don't believe me, count them!

The following blocked statements are not mine. They come straight from the DEA's website in it's report on Alabama:

Mexican and African American DTOs [Drug Trafficing Organizations] are major transporters and distributors of illegal drugs in Alabama. Organizations consisting of street gangs and motorcycle gangs may be contributing to the local drug trade; however, law enforcement does not have statistics to support this. Local groups and individuals according to law enforcement are responsible for the distribution and sometimes trafficking of illegal drugs in Alabama.

Money laundering continues to pose a threat in Alabama, especially in Birmingham and Montgomery. The most obvious businesses utilized are used car lots and Mexican restaurants. These businesses tend to be cash-intensive and lend well to the laundering of illegal proceeds from illicit drug trafficking. An ongoing investigation has identified several Mexican restaurants in Alabama and Florida utilized to launder illegal drug proceeds.

... methamphetamine has been identified by law enforcement as the number one drug threat in Alabama. Methamphetamine production in the state has seen a substantial decrease as a direct result of the restricting of psuedoehpedrine sales; however, it remains the most significant threat in Alabama as Mexican DTOs increased the total quantity available.

The Mexican DTOs[drug trafficing organizations] are responsible for transporting much larger loads of cocaine than the African American DTOs. The northern and southern regions of Alabama are supplied mostly from sources of supply in Houston, Texas. The central part of the state receives most of its cocaine from Atlanta, Georgia

The drug threat in Alabama is the widespread availability and abuse of illegal drugs arriving from outside the state, along with its homegrown marijuana and the increasing danger of local manufacture of methamphetamine and designer drugs. Conventional drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana comprise the bulk of drugs arriving in and shipped through Alabama. Colombian, Mexican, and Caribbean Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs), regional DTOs, as well as local DTOs and casual or one-time traffickers are responsible for the transportation of these drugs. Additionally, Mexican, Caribbean and regional DTOs have extensive distribution networks within the State of Alabama. Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs are also supplying methamphetamine on a very limited basis through their own distribution network within the state. Local production of methamphetamine is on the rise.

I used to live in the small wealthy town of Brewton, Alabama. Brewton has quite a large number of millionaires - out of proportion for its population. There are many young white kids who were born wealthy. Drugs have always been a problem there. The money in the town is a magnet for drugs.

Yet, when you read the news reports, none of the rich white kids are being apprehended for drug use or possession of narcotics. There are no Mexicans in Brewton being apprehended for drug distribution either. Brewton's Hispanic growth rate has rocketed in the past few years.

HOW COME THE SHERIFF AND POLICE CHIEFS AREN'T CATCHING ANY BIG FISH?

This situation isn't just common to Brewton or other small towns in Alabama. It's happening elsewhere in the U.S. Maybe this quote from Tom Tancredo might enlighten you. Tom Tancredo is one of the stronger advocates for tightening laws against illegal immigration:

"The corruption spreading from south of the border is not confined to Southern California," he writes. "In Cameron County, Texas, the former sheriff and several other officials were recently convicted of receiving drug-smuggling bribes..."

Back to Brewton - which I'm not picking on by the way. Through my sources, I know of two men both in their late forties or early fifties who have extremely serious drug problems. One is rich and the other has always had plenty of money. These men's drug problems are documented because both have been to rehabilitation on different occasions during the past few years. Obviously both have access to drugs. Expensive drugs. Where are they getting their drugs and why aren't the local police shaking them down? One, in fact, has regular contact with the police. Police cars are seen at his house on the most fashionable section of town very frequently. Are the police bringing him his drugs? The man has been arrested in a different county for DUI, but no one, absolutely no one, will touch him in Brewton, Alabama.

In the little town of Maryville, Tennessee where I grew up in the fifties and early sixties, moonshine liquor was a big problem. My late uncle was chief deputy. Every year, poison liquor contributed to a number of deaths in the county. Every year the sheriff and his deputies - including my uncle - would pose for their annual photo in front of a busted-up moonshine still. They always raided one or two small operations each year - although there were hundreds. I asked my uncle once why he participated in this hypocrisy? He replied that the people aren't going to support an unpopular law...

The next time you go to a Mexican restaurant and bite into that taco salad, ask yourself, "How many of the amigos working here are legal? Are any of them hiding out in plain sight from the DEA? Is the owner of the restaurant "laundering" big amounts of cash through his kitchen? What kind of lifestyle is the owner living?" Restaurants are not a traditional source of "big money," so if you see a restaurant entrepreneur with a big car, big house, expensive swimming pool, and other flashy extravagances - you might want to start checking him out! He might be poisoning your kids!

Until next time...

Read about Mexican Meth Raid!

Gay (and Lesbian) Sexual Predators in Positions of Trust in Alabama

2007-05-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

"There you go again, Mike Thomson, gay-bashing!"

I beg your pardon, when I speak of gay predators, I am not gay bashing. During the recent scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, "pedophile" was the mis-applied term to certain gay men who used their positions of trust to prey on young male teens. All you have to do is watch about a day's worth of Fox or MSNBC to see that this is becoming a national problem. The recent scandal with Mark Foley and the Congressional pages brought the issue of gay predators to the forefront.

Small sleepy southern towns have always had their resident "queens" and "butches". Many of these men and women are well respected and honorable and live lifetimes without any trace of scandal. Some, however, are not so benign in their lifestyles... Given the current climate and attention given to child sexual abuse,the spotlights are shining on sexual predators. If you were a gay or lesbian sexual predator where would you hunt your teenage prey?

Gay and lesbians sometimes "hide out" in small communities and some are married - with children. Successful gay/lesbian predators will seek occupations or professions where they have the greatest opportunity to interface with young teens and have the least risk of exposure and apprehension.

I am reminded of the story of a manager with a social services agency who was in a position of trust and power with young youthful offenders. These young men had no control over their situation or what was done to them by the manager who turned out to be a gay sexual predator. Charges were eventually brought against the manager. He lost his job, but guess what? Because of his "connections" in the small Alabama community, he now works in a position where he has an enormous amount of exposure to young people everyday. He never experienced jail time or went on a sexual offender list.

Sexual predators of all kinds - gay or straight - can find "cover" in power positions in prisons, youth detention facilities, and law enforcement - district attorney offices, police management, and jailers. They are also found in semi-power positions in schools, colleges, day care centers,church run facilities,sports organizations, etc.

In one small town I am familiar with, a magistrate i.e. a person who recommends individuals for criminal charges, was recently brought up on criminal lewdness charges for having one of his teenage female clients strip for him in his office while he photographed her with his digital camera.

If you or any member of your family fall victim to one of these predators, you should... wait - let me give an example of how this could happen in your family. I love to give examples in fable form - they're more easily understood:

Your son Jimmy, who plays football and has an excess of male hormone, goes to an "after game" party where beer and some "weed" are present. The police swoop in. Jimmy is caught with a "roach" in his hand. He is taken to the person in your community who has the power to bring charges or drop them. First, the "authority" figure tells Jimmy what a serious situation he's in if charges are brought - now this is good - Jimmy should definitely know how serious this could be to his future.

But then Jimmy's situation gets worse. The "authority" figure eases up a bit and begins telling Jimmy how "well built" he is. He might go so far as to massage Jimmy's biceps. At that point Jimmy might "deck" the authority figure thereby causing more problems for himself, or a very frightened Jimmy might acquiesce and let the massaging continue. I won't go on - I think you get the picture...

So what do you do if this happens to your Jimmy? It's definitely a pickle of a situation. Who do you trust? How many like-minded "authority" figures are in cahoots in your local system. In the Roman Catholic Church they discovered, in some cases an entire hierarchy of gay church officials, protecting each other. This can happen in local government also. The only thing you can do is go to the State Attorney General's office.

In Alabama the Attorney General has a number for complaining about public corruption and white collar crime. That number is 334-353-8494. Some advice before you call - write everything down - dates, times, places, and culprits.

Until next time...

Read Mike Thomson's comical serial short story entitiled Harold's Secret Life

Black Mold in Alabama Hospital

2007-04-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

We've been hearing a lot on the news these days about the black mold in "Building 18" at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. Recently someone brought to my attention a serious outbreak of this stuff in a certain Alabama Hospital. Stachybotrys fungi(black mold) has been linked to respiratory problems particularly in children.

Recently, it was brought to my attention that a certain hospital in Alabama had an outbreak of black mold in a critical area of its facilities. Alabama Confidential has never learned if this issue was resolved. If the person who sent me this information confidentially, reads this, could you please give a report and update us?

According to my source, this outbreak was pretty serious and there was an effort in the hospital to keep the information out of the local newspaper. I can see their concern, but was the matter ever resolved?

None of us should go to a hospital and return home sicker than we left. Black mold and other environmental hazards in hospitals can certainly aggravate our health condition. If you are prone to pneumonia - you shouldn't be around these spore which invisibly float through the air into your respiratory system.

In small communities where everyone knows each other, if you know someone who's "inside" your local hospital, you might want to ask them if there are conditions in that hospital the public should know about.

If your information is solid, I'll publish the details here at Alabama Confidential.

If you are a veteran and go to an Alabama VA facility, let Alabama Confidential know what you are finding there. Give us a report card!