Atlanta's "Chicken Littles" and Hurricane Katrina

"The sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!!" - Chicken Little

With rumors and urban legends being propagated all over Metro Atlanta regarding gasoline supplies allegedly drying up, prices as high as $4.00 per gallon by Friday, and gas stations closing at times ranging from 3 PM to 5 PM, way too many of my fellow citizens decided to be "Chicken Littles" for one day. If you doubt it, then you should have seen what I saw at every gas station I passed tonight on my way from work.

Furthermore, the gas stations decided to jack the prices up as high as $6.00 per gallon, though most were in the $3.00-per-gallon range. This was "highway robbery" and exploitation at its worst. In fact, it was so bad in Georgia, Governor Sonny Perdue had to declare a "state of emergency" just to keep the prices from becoming even more ridiculous. Technically, the price gouging was within existing state law, but it took Governor Perdue's actions to put a stop to the madness. Here's the article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (ajc.com).

Dear readers, our overall situation here in Georgia is pretty darn good compared to the millions of people who live along the Gulf coast from New Orleans to Mobile and have to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. At least we are not clinging to rooftops and our houses are okay. Of course, we need not forget our fellow Georgians in the western part of the state who were victims of tornadoes spawned by the eastern fringes of Katrina, especially in the vicinity of Carroll County.

We, the staff at LouieWilliamsJr.com, urge you to make donations to one or more of the following charities:

- American Red Cross (To donate by phone instead of online, call 1-800-GIVE-NOW)
- The Salvation Army (To donate by phone instead of online, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY)

Besides financial donations, we also ask you to keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Most of all, fellow Metro Atlantans, please don't be a "Chicken Little", count your blessings, and please... please give what you can (time, materials, etc.) to help those folks who need it the most.

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

Want To Marry A Prisoner? Think Again.

By now, you have probably heard about America's newest "Bonnie and Clyde" wannabes from Tennessee and their recent capture in Columbus, Ohio.

To make a long story short, a former Tennessee prison contract nurse, Jennifer Hyatte, met a hardcore prisoner, George Hyatte, who was serving a 35-year sentence for assualt and robbery.

The two struck up a relationship and Ms. Hyatte was fired as a result, but that (and permission from the warden to marry) didn't stop the happy future felonious couple from tying the knot on May 21, 2005, at the Riverbend prison in Nashville, TN. Due to the nature of Mr. Hyatte's crimes, the prison only allowed a so-called "non-contact marriage" (no touching, kissing, outside guests, or other things your regluar marriage has).

Ms. Hyatte loved her man so much that she followed a prison van taking him to the Roane County, TN, Courthouse and shot and killed his guards, freeing him in the process. They immediately fled to Ohio for some long-awaited marital contact. Please click here for the rest of the story.

Dear reader, isn't it usually not a good idea to marry folks behind bars, especially violent felons... or is it just me?

If there were only one good thing to say about my lovely wife, Mary, it's that she doesn't have a "rap sheet". (Of course, there are lots and lots of good things about her as well and I thank God each and every day that I'm Mary's husband.)

For Ms. Hyatte's ulitmate act of stupidity (not just the "marrying the violent prisoner" part), we, the staff at LouieWilliamsJr.com, hereby award her the not-so-coveted Bill Engvall "Here's Your Sign" Award. May she wear it with all the total shame deserved.

That's all for today, folks. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

Here's Your Sign (Revisited)

After the last blog, I figured that it's time to go back to the "lighter side" of things for awhile. :)

As "Blue Collar" comedian Bill Engvall said, stupid people should have to wear a sign saying, "I'M STUPID!".

From the "Here's Your Sign" department of LouieWilliamsJr.com, here's some more Bill Engvall-inspired scenarios for your amusement (gathered from various and sundry websites):

The Computer Lab

A guy goes into the college computer lab, disk in hand, to work on some class assignments.

As he signs in, the attendant asks, "Need to use a computer?". He replies, "No. I'm just gonna sit here and stare at it for awhile... here's your sign."

Deer Hunting

A guy and his uncle are in the woods hunting deer. He sees one, takes aim, shoots, and kills it.

After he's reached the dead deer, his uncle comes over and asks, "Did you get him?". He replies, "No. He's just laying here and letting me pet him... here's your sign."

Car Breaks Down

A guy's car breaks down and he pulls it to the side of the road. The car is belching steam and coolant is spilling onto the ground.

Someone comes up to him and asks, "Did you car break down?". He replies, "No. It's just taking a pee... here's your sign."

"Runaway Bride" Mows The Grass

Speaking of someone who should wear the sign, our favorite "runaway bride" was caught by reporters working off part of her 120 hours of "community service" by mowing grass (plus other various dirty jobs) at the state probation office in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Please click here for the full article from AJC.com.

Please note that she apparently forgot to wear her sign. I hope her fiancee is wearing his.

And another thing... I really love the term "community service" as used by the judicial system. If "truth in sentencing" were to be applied literally, then the judge would have to say, "For being such a shallow, selfish, and inconsiderate person, I hereby sentence you to 120 hours of working your butt off doing dirty jobs for free." :)

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

How Will You Be Remembered?

“It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you. It’s what you leave behind you when you go.” – from "Three Wooden Crosses", a song performed by Randy Travis.

Yesterday, legendary ABC News “World News Tonight” anchorman Peter Jennings died of lung cancer at age 67. Here’s the full story from ABCNews.com

Also, the North Georgia alumni community lost a 2003 alum, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Charles Warren of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th brigade, to a bomb detonated at a checkpoint in Iraq. Here’s the full story on AJC.com.

While I never knew either person, the common thread that exists between each of them is their own desires to make a difference in the lives of their families, their friends, and the world in general.

Mr. Jennings, though he was a high school dropout who quit to pursue a journalism career in his native Canada, became a broadcast legend who educated himself through his world travels, learning about other cultures and other peoples, whether it was covering the civil rights struggles in the 1960’s or the ever-volatile situation in the Middle East. Those experiences helped him become the legend that his family and friends remember now as they mourn his passing.

SSG Warren, who earned an associate’s degree in nursing from our beloved North Georgia in 1993, was a Briton who came to America in search of a better life for himself. Like his grandfather, he joined the British version of our National Guard, and upon coming to America, enlisted in ours, proudly serving both nations. In his civilian capacity as a nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, he helped to make a difference in the lives of sick children and their families. As a husband and father, he worked to make a difference in the lives of his young family.

After reading their respective stories, I started thinking about my own mortality and I asked myself, “How will I be remembered?”, and here's how:

- A man who loved his God, his country, his wife, and his family.

- A Toastmaster who learned, grew, and achieved success in both my personal and professional lives, and through service as the Georgia District Governor for 2004-2005, positively influenced others to be the best that they can be.

- A proud North Georgia alum who rose through the ranks of the Corps of Cadets and learned valuable lessons in discipline, patriotism, and honor, in addition to his degree studies.

- A man who worked hard and earned his living honestly and ethically.

- A Lion who served those less fortunate within his community, his state, and his world.

- A man who treated others with the utmost respect, honor, and dignity as per the "golden rule" (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you).

I challenge you, dear reader, to take stock of your life by first asking yourself, “How will I be remembered?” Also, please let your family and friends know how much you love them and care about them. By doing so, you can be assured that you will be remembered in a positive light. And don’t forget who is the final judge of us all, for His opinion will be the one that counts the most.

May God comfort and keep the family and friends of both Mr. Jennings and SSG Warren and may they both rest in His eternal peace.

That’s all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come again.

What's Wrong With "Flute Rock"?

In the past few months since I've starting listening to 96Rock again, I have enjoyed listening to real rock from artists who were, for the most part, truly talented... as opposed to the "Britney-Backstreet" rubbish that pollutes our airways on Top 40 stations. Even the country stations have been infected with their own "down home" version, but that's another story for another time.

At least once per week on 96Rock, "Southside Steve" Rickman has at least a minor tirade about so-called "flute rock". With due respect to "Southside Steve", here is my letter to him regarding the official LouieWilliamsJr.com stand on this musical issue:

Dear "Southside Steve",

While I respect your opinion regarding "flute rock" and your freedom to express those views as a fellow American, I beg to differ with you.

The flute, which may not have exactly in and of itself ushered in the rock era, does have its place in classic rock.

Rock and Roll is one of the world's great musical genres because of individuals and groups who were willing to "think outside the box" and experiment with flutes and other "non-rock" instruments, including, but not limited to, violins, cellos, and accordions. During the 50's, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino helped bring the piano into rock and roll. Could you imagine "Great Balls of Fire" and "Blueberry Hill" without their piano playing? For that matter, what if Lynyrd Skynyrd didn't have Billy Powell playing piano on "What's Your Name"?

Granted that flutes would not go with "AC/DC" songs, but could you imagine "Stairway To Heaven" without a flute playing in the background? It wouldn't be the same.

Finally, Steve, please consider this... the artists who did use flutes are among the most talented and have earned their places in classic rock as true honest-to-goodness musicians. You can't say that about Britney, the Backstreet Boys, or today's so-called "country singers" that pollute our airwaves on those other stations.

All in all, I think that you and Rhodes are a great team and sometimes, when I've had a crappy day, your antics just cause me to "bust a gut" laughing my butt off. (One of the best was when y'all started playing "Hell's Bells" and Satan was talking to you about going to Hell.)

While I cannot force you to reconsider your position on "flute rock", I just thought I'd share mine.

Well folks, that's all for now. Thanks for visiting and please come again!