The Tale Of The Toddler Road Rager -- Or, How I Peed Myself From Laughing In A Grocery Stone -- A Tale Of My Existence

Kids today have it so much better!

As I've mentioned before on other blog posts, crowded stores around the holidays are never good for me as an introvert with my social anxieties and autism spectrum issues. The overlapping sounds combined with my inability to filter them out mentally can be very overwhelm me at times. Lots of loud people with even louder children, blaring Christmas music with the occasional announcement cutting in -- usually on the one or two good songs and never the more popular annoying ones that get played seemingly every hour. 

Not trying to sound like a Grinch here, but me and crowded department stories and grocery stories around Christmas never do well together. So whenever I have to go to a store around this time of the year, I go early and usually try and pick a day of the week where I can minimize my chances of being overwhelmed, or suffer a major anxiety attack.

Sometimes though, something happens in a store around this time of year that makes the effort of braving the social hazards worth it. That something usually ends up being the antics of cranky children. 

All of you know the type of rugrats I am talking about. Those cranky, irritating young children who make it a point to test out the acoustics of the store -- as well as the patience of their parents -- with their loud voices and screams.

I remember all too well what it was like as a child in a store with my parents and how boooooring it was. Especially when you had a Southern mom and a grandmother (God rest her soul!) like mine, both of whom would stop and talk to at least three people for the longest time; while all you wanted to do was get back to the car to enjoy the treat, or the toy that was sitting there in the shopping cart mocking you. 

Sometimes, if you were lucky,
it was one of these bad boys!

My generation had at least one possible form of entertainment -- which also involved waiting a looooong time to get to: the lame-ass coin-operated mechanical horse, or vehicle that used to sit in front of every grocery or department store. It was also something your parents used to hold over you to behave yourselves and be still in the store. If you screwed up -- and trust me we kids almost always kinda did after the first 20 minutes of aimlessly walking around, or listening to two hens cackling on about older people you don't know, or care about -- you didn't get no ride. 

That is unless your parents were just so desperate to shut your whining up they gave in, of course.

Today's generation of small children are completely spoiled. Many stores today have at least a couple of these new pimped-out shopping carts for really young children that looked like racing cars, or other vehicles. Some of them even have two (count me!) two steering wheels. 

These days it is a normal sight to see some haggard mother trying to do her shopping while one or two toddlers are sitting in one of these department store rides pretending to drive and going "beep beep!" every five seconds, or so. Every once in awhile I will meet the eyes of such an unfortunate mother and convey my deepest sympathies. 

About this time last year, I was in a grocery store doing my holiday supper shopping one Sunday afternoon when I encountered such a mother and child combo. 

Both the mother and child -- a girl about 2 or 3 years old -- was sitting in one of these specialty grocery store buggies "beeping" her horn and making motor noises. Both were dressed in their Sunday best, having apparently gotten out of church services half an hour before.

I only noticed them out of the corner of my eye at first because I was trying to pick out a good-looking pair of turnip greens and bag them. A moment later I heard the unmistakable sound to two shopping carts crashing into each other, and turned. 

A rather shocked-looking young woman concentrating more on her cellphone and less on where she was pushing her shopping cart hit the woman and child in the right side of the cart.  

That's why you stay off your cellphones while you drive, folks!

The young lady asked them if they were okay, and quickly gasped out, "OMG! I am so sorry!"

Before the mother could speak, the little girl in the cart glares up at the woman -- and I swear I am not making this up! -- shouts out: "Hey bitch, you keep your eyes on the g**-d***ed road!" Then she flipped the other lady the bird. 

Between the mother's horrified look and the other woman's look of shock and bewilderment -- not to mention to way-too serious look on the face of the little girl, who'd no doubt heard her Sunday best church-going mother road rage one too many times -- I completely lost my shit right there and just doubled over laughing. 

Normally hearing anyone taking the Lord's name in vain wouldn't get a laugh out of me, far from it. It wasn't so much that as it had been the angry look on the girl's face, and the horrified reactions of the adults, and the little flip-off that opened the floodgates. 

I just couldn't help myself. I laughed so hard I couldn't catch my breath. My stomach was aching as the mother apologized in horror to the young woman, who was now also kinda-laughing too. The mother also glared at me, but the dam had already burst and I couldn't stop the tears going down my face as I laughed.

Speaking of dams bursting, that was when it happened. I felt a few drops of pee going down my right leg. The full bladder I had couldn't take the gut-shaking laughter, and failed me right there in public.

Thankfully the public restrooms were very close and I managed to make my way to the men's room before anyone noticed. It turns out that only a little came out and the wet stain on the front of my jeans was about the size of a quarter, though the front of my underwear was sloshed. 

I went into one of the stalls and, after completely emptying my bladder, dried myself with a handful of toilet paper. My underwear was a loss, so I ditched it in the garbage and had to go regimental until I got home. Thankfully the air dryers by the sinks actually worked fairly well and I was able to use the warm air to dry the dark spot on my jeans. 

The church mother and her daughter were still there when I made my public reappearance. The former was talking to the young woman apologizing and laughing with her, while the daughter now looked bored and just wanted her mom to shut up so she could get back to her car driving fantasy. 

I was thankful that there was no visible trail of piss on the floor (actually I doubt any of it made it past my knee) and nobody seems to have noticed that I had my own accident. I retrieved my shopping cart and made my exit stage left. 

That my friends is the story of how a shopping cart road rager made me pee myself in a grocery store. Just one of many holiday tales of my existence. I hope y'all enjoyed it and let me know if any of y'all have ever had a similar experience in a store. 

Have a wonderful Dixie Day, and Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Remembering Hero Richard Jewell -- Confederate Flag Supporter

Richard Jewell -- 1996 Atlanta Olympic Park Hero...
and Confederate flag supporter.

I just finished seeing the movie trailer for the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film Richard Jewell produced and directed by Clint Eastwood and scheduled for US release on Friday, December 13th, starring actor Paul Walter Hauser as the title character.  Honestly I can't wait to see this film, and feel that it should have been made years ago. 

At then 20 years old, I witnessed the national tragedy that took place during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia as millions of people worldwide did following the bomb explosion at Centennial Olympic Park. The bombing directly killed 1 person and injured 111 others; another person later died of a heart attack.

The main hero of this tragedy was a security guard and native Georgia resident, Richard Allensworth Jewell (December 17, 1962 - August 29, 2007) who first discovered the explosive device and then helped evacuate people from the area before the device exploded. His actions likely saved the lives of hundreds of people from across the country and the world attending the summer games from injury, or certain death. 

However, less than 72 hours later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the American Media Establishment accused Jewell of planting the bomb himself in order to come off looking like the hero. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that the FBI was treating him as a possible suspect, based largely on a "lone bomber" criminal profile.

What followed was 88 days of hell for an honorable, compassionate man who protected the lives of complete strangers from a senseless act of domestic terrorism. Despite never actually being charged with the crime, he underwent a senseless "trial by media" with great toll on his personal and professional life. 

Jewell was subject to constant surveillance and harassment by news reporters with television cameras surrounding his apartment. The FBI thoroughly and publicly searched his home twice, impounded his personal vehicle, questioned his associates, investigated his background, and maintained 24-hour surveillance of him. 

In point of fact, when the FBI conducted their search of Jewell's home and impounded his truck for forensic analysis, the Associated Press at the time made it a special point to emphasize the presence of the Confederate flag on his vehicle as a means to further portray him as a right-wing terrorist. 

FBI personal towing Richard Jewell's truck to be impounded
and searched for alleged bomb-making material in July 1996.
Note the 1956 Georgia State Flag plate with
Dixie Cross symbol.

The flag plate seen on Jewell's pickup truck was the 1956 Georgia State Flag at the time, which featured the Dixie Cross battle flag design. 

At the time during the 1996 Olympic Games, there had been considerable controversy for years over the presence of the Dixie Cross symbol of the Georgia State Flag, which had been incorporated in 1956 by the State Legislature to honor the then upcoming Civil War Centennial (1961-1965). However, the timing of the flag's presence during the start of the Civil Rights Era led to accusations by politically correct lapdogs (notably the NAACP) that the flag was put there in defiance of progress made against Jim Crow segregation. State records and the testimony of the flag's designer prove this is not true, none-the-less the controversy persisted, driven by the same left-leaning Establishment media. 

Despite all attempts to suppress its presence, the 56 Georgia State Flag (which would not be changed until 2001) was a part of the 1996 Olympic Games and featured on much of the memorabilia. The fact that people from all over the world collected that same memorabilia and seemed to have no trouble with the flag itself was a source of major embarrassment for those who sought to continue demonizing the Dixie Cross and those who honor it at the time. 

Richard Jewell, proud Southern man from northern Georgia and apparent supporter of the Dixie Cross banner; the man falsely labeled a domestic terrorist by federal authorities and the media establishment, the Southern redneck -- was the perfect patsy.

The media coverage of him was a witch hunt which portrayed Jewell in the worst possible light, and often through hateful stereotypical satire. One outlet referred to Jewell as "Bubba The Bomber" or "Una-Bubba" (a play on left-wing domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski's "Unibomber" name) and his mother as "Una-Mama". His life as a Southern-born white man living in poorer parts of northern Georgia was put on display, including pictures of his old, run-down home. Considerable mention of him living with doberman dogs and in a home "with the shades constantly drawn" filtered into what passed as news coverage. 

With memories of the 1993 Branch Davidian Waco Cult and the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing still fresh in people's memories, pictures of Jewell wearing camouflage and holding hunting rifles were also portrayed in the media, attempting to cast him as a possible militia-type similar to domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh.

This image of Richard Jewell wearing camouflage
and holding an M-16 rifle was used over and over
by the Media Establishment to push the false
narrative that he was a dangerous, racist bomber.

 
Such coverage of Richard Jewell is eerily similar to more recent coverage by the same establishment media when portraying people who honor Southern-Confederate historical heritage, though far more subtle.  

Whenever the Establishment News Media portrays supporters of the Confederate battle flag, its usually always never in a positive light. Despite the fact that the vast majority of people who honor that flag do so for positive reasons, the media narrative continues to push their self-serving anti-Confederate heritage reactionary agenda. 

They never show Confederate heritage supporters volunteering for disaster relief efforts, or people with the Dixie Cross banner on their boats helping flood victims to safety. They never show honorable heritage groups like the Sons of Confederate Veterans donating supplies to victims of natural disasters.  

However, read almost any news story about a hate crime, and if a Confederate flag can be found nearby it is mentioned with some throw-away line like: In a neighborhood where the Confederate battle flag is prominently shown.... or some variation of that statement in an attempt to link violence to that flag and anyone proud of it, regardless of the situation.

The media almost always evokes the name of the Left's favorite white supremacist, Dylann Roof, and sites his display of the Dixie Cross in at least one photo. They never show the display of the Dixie Cross by the hundreds of thousands of other Southern-born American people -- a number of them people of color -- who continue to view the flag positively as a symbol of cultural and regional identity. 

The same media and political establishment that tarnished the Confederate battle flag and claimed it helped inspire a senseless act of hatred in 2015 condemned and stereotyped Jewell in 1996, a good and honorable man who saved the lives of hundred if not thousands of strangers no matter the color of their skin or their nationality -- a man who admired the flag and the true heritage of duty and honor it stood for.

Ultimately, Richard Jewell was eventually exonerated and right-wing terrorist Eric Rudolph was later found to have been the bomber. Despite this the damage had largely been done and Jewell spent the rest of his short life attempting to rebuild his life and reputation.

As far as I am concerned, the political Left and the white supremacist throwbacks can keep their Dylann Roof; the rest of us will praise our Richard Jewell. It is my hope that Mr. Eastwood's film helps to further repair the legacy of a real American hero, and an honorable Southern brother.

My First Christmas Present Of 2019!

Greetings and Happy Holidays, Y'all! 

I wanted to start out this month -- the final month of the year, as well as the final month of this decade! -- to personally thank a certain individual for giving me a rather unique early Christmas present. 

Mr. Brian K. also known in some circles by the awesome handle "SouthernFriedOtaku" (or SFO82) has graciously given me his account at the American Civil War Talk forums. 

I met Brian about two years ago at the Battle of Aiken Reenactment of 2018 -- please check out my photos of the event HERE. Since that time he and I have been trading correspondence off and on. Brian is from Georgia, but lives somewhere around Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and three awesome children -- not to mention at least three Basset Hounds. 

Over the last five months, or so, Brian has been a member of the Civil War Talk forums defending the stories of Black Confederate Veterans from those who deny their existence, and at times their humanity. And he has done so very well from what I have read. 

He also sited me as a source frequently, or rather my article Busting The Myth Of Black Confederate Denial -- which I am told has made the rounds, and caused some haters to really go nuts. Not my goal, but let's just say I am not entirely unhappy that happened either. 

Well, recently Brian has informed me that he will be taking on a new job as a truck driver and won't be able to be online for awhile. So he generously offered to allow me to take over for him on the page -- which I accepted. 

On December 4th of this year, I joined the site creating my new account under his -- which prompted the site administrators to inform me that I had the option of combining the pages under the same IP address, or something. Sorry, not very computer savy here. I told them to go for it and now yours truly is the newest member of that forum. 

I confess that public forums, much like public speaking, isn't exactly my bag. But I will endeavor to do my best to continue Brian's defense of the good name of Confederates of Color.  

It is my hope to see Brian again in person this year at a reenactment in North Carolina he is scheduled to attend and personally thank him for this gift. 

Good luck and God Bless with your new endeavors, my friend, and thank you once again. I hope to live up to even half of your good work.  

Thanks for the early Christmas present, brother!

Night Sky Photography -- 11-29-2019 -- Young Moon, Saturn, Venus & Jupiter

Good evening fellow stargazers!

As I promised in my previous night sky blog post yesterday, I was going to get a shot of the Young Moon as it moved next to Saturn in the sky the day after Thanksgiving. 

I managed to get two outstanding shots -- one of which shows the three wanderers and the Young Moon with a train engine in the foreground. The second is a close-up shot of Saturn and the Young Moon together. 

Both shots I think turned out really well even though it was still a bit early and the planets were somewhat faint to the naked eye. All the same I hope y'all enjoyed them.

Night Sky Photography -- 11-28-2019 -- Young Moon, Venus, Jupiter & Saturn On Thanksgiving Evening

Today, its Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. A time for family to gather together and count our blessings -- or more likely gossip and talk about politics and watch American football games on television. 

For this blogger this day was also a perfect clear evening of planetary photography. Tonight I was able to capture a wonderful trio of planets with the beautiful Young Moon just above bright Venus and fainter Jupiter and Saturn just 35 minutes, or so, after sunset. 

  

The planets Venus and Jupiter are respectively the third and fourth brightest celestial objects in the night sky after the sun and moon. Saturn is no slouch in brightness either in the early evening. While Jupiter is nine times brighter than Saturn, while Venus is about seven times brighter than Jupiter -- some 63 times brighter than Saturn; the ringed giant planet still shines as brilliantly as a 1st-magnitude star -- one of the brightest stars visible in Earth’s night sky.  

The crescent of the Young Moon can be seen just above Venus in line between Jupiter and Saturn along the ecliptic -- the orbit of Earth around the sun, or from our perspective here on Earth, the line the sun takes across the sky during the daytime. 

By tomorrow, Friday, November 29th, Luna will travel higher into the sky and appear just beside faint Saturn. Hopefully I will be able to snap a photo of this event for y'all. 

Until next time have a wonderful Dixie evening, a Happy Thanksgiving Day, and keep looking to the night skies, y'all.