http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com Wed, 8 Feb 2012 12:34:44 EST http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/188/22/to-kill-a-mockingbird.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/188/22/to-kill-a-mockingbird.html I Always Wanted to Know an Atticus Finch

And yet I never quite met him. I never found him in any of my coaches, my teachers, my friends, the fathers of my friends and even my beloved father never had that perfect pitch of character while he still ranks as the greatest inspiration to my manhood. I once had a minister that came close, who was also the father two of my friends, but he could never turn a phrase like Atticus. Ronald Reagan seemed about the closest, but I never actually met "The Gr... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:48:28 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/187/2/consider-this-a-welcome-to-aspiring-curmudgeons-and-other-communicators.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/187/2/consider-this-a-welcome-to-aspiring-curmudgeons-and-other-communicators.html I am accepting commentary from the public on any issue that interests you, and that you believe may interest others.

I will, however, at my sole discretion, reserve the right to not publish any article that may be of wanton slander, or just plain stupid. I do not "suffer fools galdly" here at NHCN, or any of our other publications for that matter - so come with your "A game."

In the month of February, we averaged 265 unique visitors per day, and we are growing at a rate of about 15% per month... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:46:43 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/186/35/mardis-gras-shmardis-gras.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/186/35/mardis-gras-shmardis-gras.html Last night, while thousands lived out the Easy Rider fantasy on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, I was perfectly sober in the fluorescence of my small-town grocery, hunting for fresh-caught salmon.

Like I promised in yesterday's blog, I was using Mardis Gras to prep for my date with righteousness, rather than to have one last Hoorah, and be hungover for it.

(If you are truly ready to be married, Brandia, there will be no desire to have a bachelorette party.)

So, I'm at Food Lion and all I can ... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:43:59 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/185/10/dear-friends-part-i.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/185/10/dear-friends-part-i.html Don’t you just hate getting letters from politicians or their political hacks that begin Dear Friend, Dear Friends or just Friend …

Well, I’ve been a very conservative Republican county commissioner for nearly 14 years. I have angered so many liberals; many of whom have rarely experienced a rational thought, and certainly if they did, on that very rare off chance occasion, they, more often than not, cannot discuss / debate the issues that put them into their tizzies, withou... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:41:19 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/184/23/the-hurt-locker.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/184/23/the-hurt-locker.html For Love of Country or Love of the Rush?

Does it really matter? Staff Sergeant William James is still an American Hero - almost along the order of Audie Murphy. Sergeant Audie Murphy saved the lives of many American soldiers by killing hundreds of well armed Nazis. Staff Sergeant William James saved the lives of many American soldiers by dismantling hundreds of IED's in war torn urban Iraq.

The Staff Sergeant, portrayed by virtually unknown actor Jeremy Renner, had just disarmed a very... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:24:49 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/183/21/where-the-wild-things-are.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/183/21/where-the-wild-things-are.html I know this Will Anger Some, But the Movie Did Not Need to be Made

I do try to give films a good go of it when I try to enjoy them as art or simply entertainment. In terms of "Where the Wild Things Are," I tried to look at the picture trough the eyes of an unruly child, but I came up empty. The movie was 101 minutes long and was about 60 minutes too long to tell the story of the unruly Max in a make-believe-world that originated from a short, but very interestingly illustrated book by Mauri... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:17:28 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/182/37/escape-from-fantasy-island.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/182/37/escape-from-fantasy-island.html It's gorgeous outside today. Beyond and above my computer monitor, I can tilt my head back to look up through the large window facing me and see shapes move across my vision: an albino alligator smoking a hookah, a white motorcar blowing exhaust, a blank void turning into a glittery peep show. I don't care what kind of fancy piece of technology you have; nature, plus a good imagination, always steals the stage.

I'm convinced, now more than ever, that spring was named after what it inspires: un... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:51:45 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/181/21/shutter-island.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/181/21/shutter-island.html Martin Scorsese Keeps the Impregnable Island Central to His Story

The great director also turned my mind inside out, as I struggled to conceive the point nd purpose of his lavish film, which examined the inner recesses of a damaged mind. By the end of the film, with my mind struggling to reconcile this story’s many twists that suggest the realty within Scorsese’s surreal depiction of the upside down existence of his protagonist, Detective Teddy Daniels, played by Leonardo DiCapri... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:33:35 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/180/22/the-lost-boys.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/180/22/the-lost-boys.html
The Late Corey Haim's Best Film is Also One of my Favorites

I will forever watch "The Lost Boys" through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl. Though it was produced in 1987, when I was 5, it wasn’t until my teens that I saw this coming-of-age vampire film. At the time, my girlfriends and I loved horror movies. Better still, we loved horror movies with cute bad boys playing the title roles. "Pet Cemetery II," with Edward Furlong, was our typical slumber-party rental, and, like pizza, it n... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:28:44 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/179/11/the-morning-drive.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/179/11/the-morning-drive.html I have a 30 minute commute to work in the morning. To my way of thinking, it is the perfect distance between my life at home and my job. There is both an opportunity to prepare for the day on the way in, as well as decompress and unwind after all my customers needs have been accommodated. During the drive, my mind often wanders into very predictable questions: What do I need to do today? Are there going to be any big headaches? I wonder what’s for supper? Why is that guy going 75 mph in ... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:25:26 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/178/11/the-bs-report.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/178/11/the-bs-report.html We’ve all had those moments. You know, when the boss says he’s looking out for your best interest, when your favorite sports star says his contract negotiations are “not about the money”, or when ANY politician moves his/her lips. These are what I call BS moments. These are the times when you look at the person closest to you and say, “now that’s a bunch of BS…”. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, there have been a couple of BS moments o... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:23:49 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/177/37/cardio-health-seems-relative-but-it-s-really-not.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/177/37/cardio-health-seems-relative-but-it-s-really-not.html Three weeks ago, I made a promise to allow Lent to be an opportunity for me to grow and change. From the start, I suffered setbacks with my health that threw me off course. Rather than losing my way into the wilderness, I've been shuffling alongside the narrow path, "FOR WALKERS ONLY," sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, and hoping to feel well enough again to rejoin the low incidence, relatively unassisted, dependable, mobile population on the trail.

Though my cold, flu, whatever it was, se... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:22:23 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/176/3/are-you-ready-to-buy.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/176/3/are-you-ready-to-buy.html There?s absolutely nothing wrong with not being able to buy a house. I am a Realtor and an advocate of home ownership, who is currently renting a home. Of course, I would love to build equity, feel the security of having title to my own piece of earth, or simply have a real interest in remodeling my kitchen, but I am financially unprepared for such a responsibility.

Instead I?m happily setting myself up to take on this responsibility by working hard, paying off debt, saving money and getting my... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:20:05 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/175/3/what-to-do-before-listing-your-property.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/175/3/what-to-do-before-listing-your-property.html For many, selling property marks the end of an age. It’s a physical representation of the changing dynamics within your family, your relationship, or your career. A change of this magnitude isn’t easy. Leaving memories behind can be incredibly difficult. Take photographs, host a moving party, but before you put that For Sale sign in your yard, make sure you and your home have said your goodbyes.

It may sound harsh, but once it goes on the market, you are open for business and the c... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:11:34 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/174/38/stimulus-funds-trickle-down-into-local-weatherization-assistance-program.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/174/38/stimulus-funds-trickle-down-into-local-weatherization-assistance-program.html Going green is likely the last thing on the minds of those living in lower-income households. A family with an income at 200 percent below the federal poverty guidelines is understandably more concerned with paying the bills, than reducing their carbon footprint.

Thanks to the expansion of the Weatherization Assistance Program, administered through North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services Office of Economic Opportunity, lower-income households can go green and save green simult... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:09:28 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/173/3/long-the-markets-right-now-get-ready-to-have-your-lunch-money-taken-for-the-next-50-years.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/173/3/long-the-markets-right-now-get-ready-to-have-your-lunch-money-taken-for-the-next-50-years.html Since the March 2009 lows in the major American indices (S&P 500, Dow, NASDAQ), it’s been a wild ride straight up as markets attempt to digest information and find a new equilibrium in the aftermath of the largest private sector debt bubble in history (not to metion the world wide public sector debt crisis set to take place within the next 5-10 years). Many investors are thoroughly convinced that we’ve found that equilibrium here in the 9,500- 10,700 range.

They are optimistic... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:05:12 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/172/14/why-no-jobs.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/172/14/why-no-jobs.html The Democratic "leaders" in Congress and the General Assembly assure them things are fine. "The recession is over," they crow. "The president's plan has brought hundreds of thousands of new jobs," etc, etc, etc. Each statement a bigger lie than the one before. Meanwhile citizens of North Carolina can't find work and are struggling to survive. Increasingly it becomes more difficult to pay for food, utilities, the mortgage and needs for the kids.

The debt bubble is ... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:02:17 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/171/37/i-no-longer-represent-the-dirty-dirty-dirty-south.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/171/37/i-no-longer-represent-the-dirty-dirty-dirty-south.html
I've never cared much for perfectly straight teeth, but clean teeth and fresh breath are essential. I mean, who could really stand wearing a clear, plastic retainer every night for the rest of their life? I'd just loose it in the cafeteria trashcan anyway.

My orthodontist tried so hard to get my teeth in line, but my chompers have always had a mind of their own. As soon as my braces came off and the belt sander was moved a safe distance from my mouth, it was as if my large teeth removed thei... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:42:12 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/170/37/good-circadian-rhythym-has-just-enough-zzzz-notes.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/170/37/good-circadian-rhythym-has-just-enough-zzzz-notes.html Last night I slept nine hours on the couch and awoke feeling restless, jittery, but still groggy. The cushions were ajar, the room messy, and I felt anxious as if I were already way behind for the day.

I've decided that getting a lot of sleep isn't the answer to stress--the biggest single burden on my health. Sleep may be restorative to my body, including my brain and nerves; but it does nothing for my To Do list. My To Do list is backed up like a traffic jam, which only manages to free five o... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:38:42 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/169/37/drink-plenty-of-liquids.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/169/37/drink-plenty-of-liquids.html Oh, la pauvre! Though I responsibly abstained from Mardis Gras debauchery, and drank one pure white glass of wine, instead of six fiery tequila sunrises, I woke on Ash Wednesday feeling perfectly puny.

Five days of Lent passed, and I, due to my infliction, was no more able to follow certain dietary restrictions than to withstand bumper carts at Wal Mart. I prayed all week for a swift recovery, but, instead, alternated between mal and tres mal. (Perhaps reading the nauseating, but enviably well ... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:36:45 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/168/3/deflation-isn-t-such-a-bad-thing.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/168/3/deflation-isn-t-such-a-bad-thing.html Market "experts" and CNBC talking heads may have many of you worried about runaway inflation resulting from the massive amounts of cash our wonderful Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, with the help and encouragement of our bankster-controlled political mafia, dumped into the financial system. Whilst inflation, or the threat of hyper-inflation, would be a very valid concern if these enormous amounts of surplus cash ever made it into the real economy; that simply is not, and will not be, the case.

The ... Read More]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:34:58 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/166/37/a-mardis-gras-promise.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/166/37/a-mardis-gras-promise.html Confession: In my entire life of 28 years, I have never kept to a diet or exercise plan for much longer than 24 hours.

This Lenten season, which begins tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, I am making a public promise to give up the biggest sin a young woman can commit against her body--not taking care of it.

Good genes are a gift from God, and I fear that I may have all but squandered that gift. I'm a tough cookie, with high standards, but when it comes to two of those seven deadly sins--gluttony and sl... Read More]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:31:18 EDT http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/165/33/candidates-file-for-campaign-2010.html http://www.cityofhamptonnow.com/post/165/33/candidates-file-for-campaign-2010.html In the first hour of the campaign season, on Feb. 8 at high noon, six early birds officially filed as candidates for various Beaufort County offices. Of the six were five incumbents: Sheriff Alan Jordan, Clerk of Court Marty Paramore, County Commissioner Stan Deatherage (Republican), school board members Cindy Winstead and Teresa Banks; and one newcomer: Jerry Evans, who is running for a Democratic seat on the county commission.

At first glance, Evans and Deatherage, candidates on opposite si... Read More]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:27:35 EDT