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Zebulon Country Club Course Review

I played at the Zebulon Country Club this week.  Overall it’s a very good course as far as conditions go.  Among local courses I would rank the fairways and greens slightly above Lochmere and Wil-Mar.  It’s definitely way better than nearby Wendell Country Club (which is barely a golf course anymore). We were told the greens may be a mix of bent grass and Bermuda.  They were almost as good as the bent grass greens at Carolina Country Club.

It’s not a long course and has some easy to par 470 yard holes.  It’s got a couple of easy to birdie par 4’s if you’re even slightly better than me.   All-in-all it’s a course worth going back to many times, again based on the conditions.  But it does have one really bad problem on weekdays: lots of grumpy old men.  I mean, these old timers are straight evil and angry that anyone under 55 years old dare, yes dare, come on their course.  They play with no golf etiquette, none, zero.  They don’t finish out their putts from five or ten feet and then proclaim “ya, I scored a 74 today”.   Right, minus any putting at all.

Since they don’t putt out once they hit the green they’ll pick up their ball and tee off immediately while the group in front of them is still on the fairway.   One thing is for sure, these old coots won’t slow you down.  They’ll spray the ball to bejesus, usually on to another fairway, and then without warning or any dialog drive their carts straight onto a fairway someone else is playing to hit their shots.   We were playing fast (pars and bogeys) but one group behind us was so bad we let them play through since no etiquette, hurry up golf was their thing.  Only to have another Geritol gang come up behind us and almost hit us with a ball (literally) as we  finished putting.  I said something the the effect of “You need to slow down and chill”.  To which one old man replied “No, you need to move boy!”.   So I replied “No. I do not and will not”.  I know what they’re trying to do because I’ve seen it before.  It’s an ego trip for these old guys to be able to say they can play 18 holes in 2 1/2 hours or less, score be damned.  It happened a lot at Winton Country Club in Virginia where the average member age is probably 62.  Nothing makes them prouder than to have the “youngun’s” let them play through.  Somehow in their minds this equates to better golf.  Never mind taking the time to make shots that score low.

I’ve decided to try this course another day at a time later in the afternoon to see if the “Geritol Thugs” might be less of a distraction.   The first time I went to check the location and prices a really nice manager was offering some attractive membership rates.  Even with the wonderful turf this course has, if you’ve got to sacrifice playing a complete game to let angry old people who don’t really care about quality golf have their way, it’s not worth it.  The attitude of regular patrons can make or break a golf course.  I’ve played many, and these regulars are the absolute worst I have ever seen despite the sign coming into Zebulon that says “Home of Friendly People”.  Ya right, friendly people that think they own a golf course because it’s the only one they play four times a week.  I hope my next experience is better so I don’t have to leave these great turf conditions to the cranky old coots.

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The ups and downs of side jobs.

I may have just gotten my first side job using my newly acquired Fluke Optiview Series III Integrated Network Analyzer.  Running cable is nasty work but hey, it’s money.  This Fluke meter can test and certify Category 5e/6 and 6a (Gigabit) ethernet drops and LC, SC and MT-RJ fiber connections.   I have no intention of running fiber drops any time soon unless I come across someone willing to pay for the cost of materials.

The only up side is the extra money.  The down side is the time.  I already work 10 hours a day on occasion plus commute time.  I really love my kids and would like to get a chance to see them.  I don’t know that I’m doing this out of necessity but it sure won’t hurt.

The potential for side jobs to grow out of control always worries me because if I do ever start getting bigger jobs I’m going to have to go through the whole process of  getting a Federal Tax ID, filing quarterlies with the IRS, the major accounting stuff – oh joy.  I remember all this from the PC-Pickles days of the 90’s.  I also remember working 60 hours a week plus the accountability and liability that comes from being a small business owner.  I question if I ever want to go that far and quit my day job again.

For now I will settle for jobs of 48 copper drops or less at $59 each plus materials.  I can handle that overhead out of the gate working with one other person at about $15 to $20 an hour.   I’m starting small and might stay small.  We’ll see what happens.

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I got kicked off Digg. What took so long?

It’s about damn time.  If you want to go to a site where Obama is considered Jesus because Ron Paul has already secured the role of God then Digg is your site.  If you praise homosexuality and won’t dare mention what it really is (two men, in bed, having sex) then Digg has an account for you.  If you think the Toyota Prius is the future of transportation and all trucks and SUV’s should be impounded and crushed then Digg will make you smile.  And if you think that Microsoft completely sucks at everything and should be shut down by the government to make room for Apple and Ubuntu then you will receive great honors from the “Digg Community”.  Ya, they even went so far as to recognize themselves as a commune.

But be warned: should you digress from the completely liberal opinions on the site you may be “reported as offensive”.  You see, there is no room for your own thought outside of the liberal confines of the Digg moderators.  Don’t tell the truth.  Just throw out some witty frat-boy banter to make the college kids giggle to see them reply “OMGROFLOL!!!”.  But don’t be too witty.  It will come off as disingenuous and you will be marked for a frat boy rebuttal.  Speak too much truth and you’ll definitely be labeled a “troll”.

So remember, there’s no such thing as an “illegal immigrant”, green is always good, conservatives are always wrong and enjoy yourself on Digg.  And don’t forget to bring your latest Playstation 3, Xbox or Wii game review.  I’m not sure if they’ll let you in without something that important.

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Ready for a whole lot of nothing? Here comes “Healthcare Reform”.

Reuters reported this morning “Obama has invited several large trade groups, including the American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans and the American Hospital Association, to discuss wringing savings from the health system”.

And do you know what every one of these groups is discussing on their way to this meeting?   They’re each deriving ways they can come away from Washington and maintain or increase their profit levels.  All they care about is making sure that revenue stays the same or increases.  The AMA wants the health insurers to pay more, they will no doubt fall to the malpractice insurance argument.  The health insurers will argue that the hospital associations need to reduce operating expenses and the hospitals will want to pay less to Doctors and increase the payouts by insurers to cover their “operating expenses” (that’s code for shareholder return).

Capitalist, Socialist… whatever you want to call yourself, know this: As long as taking care of shareholders is the primary focus of these organizations the one thing that will not come up in the conversation as a point of concern is care for the sick, injured and dying.  Patient care and patient monetary expense is an afterthought in the Wall Street bureaucracy that is the American health care system.

So despite Obama’s nice little gesture only the most naive of the hopeful among us could possibly believe any meeting involving these organizations will evolve into less expensive or better care.  Wishful thinking without the guts to stand up to corporatism is nothing more than pandering to the whims of big business.  That’s what Obama is doing.  When it comes to health care in America you either stand on the side of corporate revenue or patient care.  There is no in between.  Patient care lost a long time ago.  You are a number in a process.  Stay healthy.   But even that concept once promoted by a few health insurers (wellness programs) were cut when they realized it costs money to promote wellness.  Some highly paid think tank ran the math and figured out it was cheaper to let people get sick and deny the claims.

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Trajedy of the week: THE GOLF CARTS BURNED UP.

CartsAll of the golf carts at the Wendell Country Club (my weekend stomping ground) burned to ashes early this morning.  I am grief strucken beyond my ability to put into words and may need to seek professional help.  These carts were young, only a couple of years old.  Lightening is to blame so perhaps God is trying to tell me something about how I should spend the weekend (I will be working).  Why oh why was there no mercy for these poor, innocent golf carts?

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Spyk Quick – Killed by a habitual coward…

spyk.JPGThe last 72 hours have been a particularly hard, emotional roller coaster on my very dear friend Desiree Wynder and her family.  As reported in the local news this week Desiree’s brother, Ian Quick, known to everyone locally as Spyk, was killed by a hit and run driver while riding his street legal scooter (not a moped) on I-40 near Gorman Street.  I first met Spyk when he first moved to Raleigh which was about two years ago despite media reports that he was in the area “about a year”.

When the story was initially reported in the news on Monday the driver of the Yellow Xterra that hit Spyk had not been identified.  The police told Desiree and her mother, Heidi, that there was a 72 hour window before most of the leads could dry up and the trail could go cold.  The detectives were up against the clock.  Desiree worked diligently with law enforcement and the media to keep Spyk’s story in the headlines so people would be on the lookout for the Xterra.

Spyk was a cook at The Raleigh Times Bar where he was adored by his co-workers and the patrons.  The management at the Times agreed to pay for all of the funeral expenses and then organized a memorial, which was held last night, not only to honor Spyk but also to provide more media coverage to find the hit and run driver.  It may have worked faster than anyone expected.

As the memorial got underway I was talking with Desiree at the bar.  She went to talk to her grandfather and returned just moments later and told me “they found him”.  Just as she was telling me this her phone rang.  It was the lead detective on the case letting her know the information she had was correct.  I asked her twice “what’s his name”?  “Gavin Hawk” she repeated as the officer told her.  The timing was uncanny. The 48 hour mark, the window of time in which most cases are solved, was quickly approaching.

Twenty eight year-old Gavin Clifford Hawk was previously convicted on January 28, 2008 of a Class H Felony for “speeding to elude arrest” according to the NC Dept. of Corrections Offenders web site.  Gavin obviously has a history of driving irresponsibly and then racing away from the scene.  So it’s time for the book to be thrown.  The cowardly son of a bitch also tried to slit his wrists before his arrest.  I wish he’d succeeded and save the courts time and money.

Watching Heidi’s tears turn from anger and sorrow to joy, if only for a moment, was a life event I will never forget.  We drank to Spyk and we drank to Gavin Hawks arrest.  Spyk can rest knowing that his killer has been apprehended.  My faith in our local judicial system is weak but I hope that for once, in this instance, Gavin Hawk grows old in prison.  His life should be over for the selfish crime he committed against a man who is one thousand times the person he is.  You shouldn’t have run Gavin.  You will pay a heavy price for your continuous, cowardly acts.  Although I considered including Gavin’s picture in this post, I will not do him the honor.  The goal moving forward is to remember Spyk and forget the coward who killed him as he rots in the NC prison system.

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The banks wield power in Washington today.

This week we will find out who rules America: the US Government put in power by the people for the people, or the banking industry lobby and the Republican legislators they hold in their pocket.

Obama is meeting with bank industry leaders to once again ask them to conform to more appropriate consumer protections.  The evil, vile bank lobby will attempt to argue they are too poor right now to ease up on fees and credit gouging.   Why are they poor?  Because of their own greedy lending practices but never mind that little inconvenience.

Even though many Democrats are on board with new consumer credit regulation they are not completely convinced they will get any bills passed.  The banking industry has a way too powerful special interest lobby working to convince lawmakers they must protect the interest of the banks.  It will be close regardless of which direction this takes and what’s at stake is more important than interest rates on credit cards.  It’s a decision of who controls the future of the American economy, lawmakers for the consumers or bankers for well, the banks and wealthy bank investors.

Update: From the NY Times this morning:

“Having won some early skirmishes by teaming with Republican allies, the banks now appear to have the upper hand and may wind up killing — or at least substantially diluting — both pro-consumer measures.”

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What’s going on with AT&T?

AT&T is offering a $250,000 reward to anyone who can help them find out who maliciously cut a fiber line in California last week disrupting service on a large segment of the Internet.  Today two lines were cut in Raleigh and Cary causing the entire NC Administrative Office of the Courts to go off-line and Magistrates in jails state wide could not determine how to set bail or look for outstanding warrants.

I’ve been in the center of an AT&T debacle for months.  Our company has been trying to turn up an AT&T MPLS wide area network between our corporate locations since November.  In the past I’ve coordinated wide area network deployments encompassing as many as 24 locations in under two weeks.  None of these networks were carried by AT&T or Bellsouth.  They can’t seem to get five locations done in under half a year. It’s making me look like an idiot for choosing them.  I just hope the network is more reliable than their service or I’m in trouble.

To put this new AT&T network in place we’re tearing down a multi-site VPN (virtual private network) that has been in place for 5 years.  It’s not the fastest in the world but rarely does a segment (location) go off-line.  If I turn our broadband network over to AT&T and they have these kinds of issues then we lose money.  That’s unacceptable. So far their technical communication through the process has been horrible.  The AT&T Techs want someone on site but can’t specify a time, the average turn around time for emails and phone calls to the Engineers is at best three days but most often two weeks or when I complain to AT&T executive account management.

I’m having buyers remorse for signing with these guys and they haven’t even finished turning on the service yet.  Come to think of it that’s part of the reason why I’m having buyers remorse.  Ma Bell is back, bigger and more unreliable than ever.

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Castleton’s Jay McLamb’s sentencing was postponed again.

I just got an email response from Jonathan Cox of the News and Observer that sentencing has been postponed again, until June, for the ex-CFO of The Castleton Group, Jay McLamb.  He also said that no specific date had been set.

I hate to speculate, but since this is a blog and full of my opinions, I will.  I would guess that Jay’s sentencing is probably taking a while for various reasons:  The investigators are probably digging though a web of financials only he can help untangle as they work to build a case against Suzanne Clifton and potentially her son.   Jay’s lawyers could still be negotiating his sentence based upon the amount and quality of information he’s provided.  If I were Clifton I would be more and more weary of the case being built the longer Jay’s sentencing is postponed. There are lots of Internet comment rumors about the funds transferred between Castleton and The Executive staffing group.  If there is any truth to these accusations then the investigators could be taking their time to build an air tight federal case to avoid defense loopholes.

The Trustee suing Clifton and her mortgage companies could step up efforts to recover from her personal assets despite her supposed insolvency through bankruptcy.  I read somewhere that she didn’t not even file some of the papers for her bankruptcy within the required time frame.

There are a lot of people who don’t want Clifton to just walk away from this with millions in bankruptcy protected personal assets while there are so many small businesses still suffering from the ramifications of her companies criminal activity.  I also think it’s a great addition to the argument surrounding why 2nd and 3rd homes qualify for bankruptcy protection when primary residences do not.  Clifton should not be allowed to keep these home regardless of her criminal involvement (because of her companies debts to former customers). They should be seized by US Marshals the same way Madoff’s yacht and Florida vacation home were.

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I HATE the word Yummy

yummy.jpgForgive this blatant rant but this word has been bothering me for a few years since it became trendy again. I don’t know why and I can’t explain it. I can’t stand to read it or have it go through my head for any reason. I can’t tolerate typing it and God forbid I’m ever forced to say it. It’s appearing more and more frequently and I can’t escape it. Arrrrggggg!!!

It’s a slack, uncreative replacement for “delicious”.  I wish the resurgence of this word propagated by soccer moms would go back to the late 50’s where it came from. What’s next?  Should I be on the look out for “swell”. And then there’s the whole Yummy Mummy thing. What, MILF was too disturbing for the PC crowd so they found something kid safe to describe hot moms? You know who you are.

It’s bad enough when soccer moms invoke the word “yummy” in any context but  professionals reviewing recipes should avoid it like the kiss of death. Any adult male who dares use the word deserves to be castrated for the greater good. It’s just not allowed. I’m warning ya, don’t do it or I’ll buy you a pink tutu and a tricycle and force you to ride it down I-540 at 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon. You will also be required to wear a sign everywhere for three months that says “Yummy Twinkle Boy”.

There you have it, my least favorite word to resurrect itself from the days of Ozzie and Harriet. Isn’t that swell?

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