AT LIBERTY TO SAY : Liberty South Carolina News • Opinion • Information

Liberty High School Baseball Team Logo

2010-03-13T06:18:00.000-05:00

I took this picture in the Hospice Of The Upstate Thrift Store in Liberty. The design was on a T-Shirt and I thought it was both artistic and frightening.

Daylight Savings Time On March 14, 2010

2010-03-13T03:20:00.000-05:00

Picture from pennypostcards.com

Just a reminder that Daylight Savings Time is on March 14th this year:

From The US Navy website:

"On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58, 119 Stat 594 (2005)."

April 2010 Liberty Book Club

2010-03-12T06:14:00.000-05:00

The Liberty Book Club Meets the second Monday of each month at 11:00AM

Next month, on April 12th, 2010, the book club will be discussing:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Start reading now!

Liberty High School Varsity Boys Baseball Schedule / March 2010

2010-03-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

March 2010 Home Game Baseball Schedule

March 12, 2010
vs Daniel @ 7:00PM

March 13, 2010
vs Pickens @ 4:00PM

March 19, 2010
vs Pendleton * @ 6:00PM

March 20, 2010
vs Waccamaw @ 12:00PM

March 23, 2010
Emerald * @ 6:00PM

* Schedule is of home games only / Please see this page for full schedule

Liberty Man Shot In Shoulder Over Dispute

2010-03-11T06:45:00.002-05:00

As reported by The Pickens County Courier:

The victim, Jason Garnett LeCroy, 29, of 7569 Moorefield Memorial Hwy. in Liberty was shot in the shoulder area, according to arrest warrants. Warrants say police believe LeCroy was in an argument with Shay Sweezy Morgan, 34, of 117 Pickens Drive in Pickens.

Police believe that during the argument LeCroy had a gun in the front section of his pants and grabbed Morgan and pulled her toward him. According to the warrant, authorities say LeCroy pulled the gun out and police believe he laid it on the bed. When the two laid on the bed, the police say the gun went off, shooting LeCroy.

Morgan was arrested on Tuesday and charged with discharging a firearm inside city limits and possession of drug paraphernalia.

LeCroy was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute meth.

No One Should Harm Liberty ...

2010-03-11T06:17:00.000-05:00

"All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions."
~ John Locke

South Carolina Redesigns State Government Website / Adds New Features

2010-03-11T06:16:00.003-05:00

South Carolina has redesigned its website SC.GOV

Originally launched in November 2005, the state's official website has a new look and new features that were announced Tuesday, March 9 2010. Enhancements include an updated design, better resources for local government information, and new social media integration.

The "How Do I?" section has been expanded and located in a more prominent position on the site. There's also a new section dedicated to local government and community information resources.

From GOVTECH.COM:

"We wanted the new version of SC.GOV to provide an inviting and intuitive online presence to connect users to the information they are seeking," said Barbara Teusink, deputy division director for the Division of State Information Technology. "The new site combines best practices and the latest technology to deliver a user-friendly and attractive online experience based on customer activity and feedback."

This (below) is the redesigned and enhanced page for Pickens County:

Region I Page

Meet The Natives: A Discussion About The Area's Native Plants

2010-03-11T06:04:00.000-05:00

Meet the Natives @ Sarlin Branch, Liberty!

Monday March 22, 2010 @ 4:00PM

Just in time for spring, Joe Townsend will be presenting a free program about some of the familiar and noteworthy native plants found in the Upstate.

He's been appreciating and growing wildflowers for 20 years and is the owner of Wildside Gardens, a native plant nursery located in the Six Mile area. He resides on a 24 acre farm where he utilizes solar power to live completely off the grid.

This program is open to the public. For more information, stop by or call the Sarlin Branch Library at 843-5805.

This Week's Weather Forecast

2010-03-10T15:59:00.002-05:00

CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW

What Does Your Cable Or Satellite Provider Pay For The Channels You Have ?

2010-03-10T07:31:00.006-05:00

Below is a chart detailing the prices Dish Network, DirecTV, Charter Cable, and Northland Cable pay to the various networks to broadcast their stations via their service.

One common question is, "If these are the prices, how can they make the deals they do for the first six months or a year?" That's because of deals that are struck. When I worked with Charter, I discovered that the average station was a flat rate of 5¢ per channel for the first six months in cost to to them. This means that if they provided you 60 channels for $29.99 - their cost for the first six months was only $3. The next six months channel wholesale costs would move to half of their normal value. The second year, channels would cost similar to what you see below.

Via The Consumerist:

(CLICK ON CHART FOR LARGER VIEW)

One thing this chart really shows is that "a la carte pricing" where the consumer pays only for channels they want would be a much better deal. For example, ESPN, which I don't watch, would allow me to get 20+ channels in it's place.

Another Picture Of The Sidewalk Work Being Done On Main St In Liberty

2010-03-10T05:12:00.000-05:00

Here's another picture of the progression of the sidewalk work being done on Main St in Liberty. City Council made great efforts to express that the county was paying for all of the work and that Liberty wasn't paying a dime for the construction.

Note To County and City Of Liberty; "I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am" : I Only Recycled 220% This Week

2010-03-10T05:02:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday in Liberty and that means recycling pick up day. Yay! Boo!

What you see here is 51 pounds of glass and 7 pounds of plastic.

What you don't see here is anything (save one Coca Cola) that anyone in my family actually consumed.

These are bottles that I collected on a few walks with my wife and son this week. The majority of the alcohol bottles coming from my block.

Saving out my own cans (mostly collected from picking up) and counting my weekly 11 pounds of organic compost; I recycled 220% the weight of my garbage. And yes ... I actually measured using my bathroom scale.

Massive Food Recall Affects Upstate

2010-03-09T13:49:00.003-05:00

Via The Ingles Supermarket Facebook Page:

Recall: Products Containing Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a essentially a fancy word for MSG Mono-Sodium- Glutamate.

This list (below) includes products subject to recall in the United States since February 2010 related to hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) paste and powder distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc.

These items are essentially mixes for chili, mixes for soups, and sauce mix and products that are coated or flavored such as nuts.

All of the following brands and items are affected by an FDA recall announced on March 8, 2010.

You can take these foods back to the store you bought them from for an exchange credit. (NOT A REFUND)

Bouillon Products
Herbox

Dip and Dip Mix Products
Concord Foods
De la Casa
Delicioso
Follow Your Heart
Fresh Food Concepts
Great Value
Johnny's Fine Foods
McCormick
Oak Lake Farms
Reser's
Rojo's
T. Marzetti

Dressing and Dressing Mix Products
Follow Your Heart
Reser's
Trader Joe's

Gravy Mix Products
McCormick

Pre-Packaged Meal Products
Follow Your Heart

Prepared Salad Products
Reser's

Snack and Snack Mix Products
CVS
Great Nut Supply
HK Anderson
Hawaiian
National Pretzel Company
President's Choice
Rouses Louisiana's Best
Safeway
Spec's Wines & Fine Foods
Sunflower Markets

Soup Mix Products
Castella
Homemade Gourmet

Stuffing Products
McCormick

Recent Tweets ...

2010-03-09T10:33:00.005-05:00

If you're not part of the ATLIBERTYTOSAY.COM Twitter feed you may have missed this Liberty & South Carolina news:

Good quote from a commenter on my website: "As we legislate against the specific WATCH OUT - I don't like the color orange!"
8 minutes ago via web

3rd District opponents: Rex Rice going too far on abortion http://bit.ly/93javG (via @GreenvilleNews)
about 1 hour ago via Twitterrific

Freedom not always pretty: There is much we find distasteful, even hateful ... but free speech nonetheless http://bit.ly/brFMVy
about 4 hours ago via Twitterrific

Take care of real needy: Bauer was right http://bit.ly/9naLwp (via @independentmail)
about 4 hours ago via Twitterrific

Jeff Duncan, running for Federal District 3 (covering the Liberty area) has a new website. Check it out http://www.JeffDuncan.com
about 4 hours ago via Twitterrific

atlibertytosay.com March 2010 Liberty City Council Meeting http://bit.ly/9n9U8O
about 12 hours ago via twitterfeed

Police Chief mentioned it at tonite's city council meeting/he said he was actively looking for a replacement
about 12 hours ago via Twitterrific

Liberty Police Dept has an opening
about 12 hours ago via Twitterrific

Pickens school board goes into closed meeting: The board of the School District of Pickens County met Monday night... http://bit.ly/9ni7km
about 14 hours ago via Twitterrific

At city council meeting
about 17 hours ago via Twitterrific

Norfolk Southern to pay $4 million for S.C. chlorine spill http://bit.ly/bNj36X (via @GreenvilleNews)
about 21 hours ago via Twitterrific

U may be marked up, but definitely not marked out!
about 21 hours ago via Twitterrific

Another reason that I support roll call voting: http://bit.ly/c67HeX (via @rexrice)
about 22 hours ago via Twitterrific

Some say S.C. Superintendent of Education campaigning on taxpayer dime http://bit.ly/9COH7H (via @OpenGovernmenSC)
about 22 hours ago via Twitterrific

Stop talking about all of your magic bullets and start hunting. (via @BrainsOnFire)
about 22 hours ago via Twitterrific

atlibertytosay.com Yack & Yarn @ Sarlin Library Saturday March 20, 2010 http://bit.ly/9zxDe4
10:01 AM Mar 8th via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com Liberty City Council Meeting Tonight http://bit.ly/aGyMUn
8:18 AM Mar 8th via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com Help Me Help You ... http://bit.ly/cRUYCX
10:06 AM Mar 7th via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com Liberty Lost All At Once ... http://bit.ly/ac1IDe
8:25 AM Mar 7th via twitterfeed

Daniel boys claim state basketball championship: Lions new kings of AAA. http://bit.ly/aAKLbE (via @independentmail)
7:35 AM Mar 7th via Twitterrific

@shanemassey @rexrice Note about a tragic accident yesterday near Liberty SC/Police seized cellphone of a driver accused of TWD to investig8
9:46 PM Mar 5th via web

atlibertytosay.com An Op-ed about "The Curious Case Of The Distracted Driver" http://bit.ly/bC3PRG
8:42 PM Mar 5th via twitterfeed

Texting-while-driving may have contributed to fatal Anderson crash: 36-year-old driver trapped in minivan ... http://bit.ly/cutMu2
6:06 PM Mar 5th via Twitterrific

Shame on Anderson police handling investigation of auto accident N Liberty 2 make her admit she looked down at phone/Wonder if she was read Miranda
11:26 AM Mar 5th via Twitterrific

http://www.wyff4.com/news/22749994/detail.html?taf=gs The Gville News & WYFF reported the auto accident in Liberty completely different.
11:24 AM Mar 5th via Twitterrific

atlibertytosay.com Auto Collision In Liberty Results In Tragedy http://bit.ly/czVmYo
10:57 AM Mar 5th via twitterfeed

"The greatest thing about twitter is that you can quote something & totally make up the source." ~Adolf Hitler
9:42 AM Mar 5th via TweetDeck

Dropout crisis in S.C. under attack http://bit.ly/dhVYtE
7:55 AM Mar 5th via web
Retweeted by you and 1 other

Head-on collision in Liberty leaves one dead http://bit.ly/cVMVgi
9:51 AM Mar 5th via twitterfeed
Retweeted by you

http://pickenssentinel.com/bookmark/6567053/article-County gets clean audit / Just 2 show all what U miss & get interpreted from The Pickens Sentinel vs ATLIBERTYTOSAY
10:46 AM Mar 5th via web

atlibertytosay.com MyPoints: Get Up To 8% Rebate On Your Purchases http://bit.ly/bVeuTt
9:39 AM Mar 5th via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com Same Law / Different Meanings"RECYCLE" Means different things in the same law http://bit.ly/cMGUce
8:02 AM Mar 5th via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com Liberty Elementary Honored For Raising Money For Leukemia & Lymphoma http://bit.ly/bJ7LNw
3:50 PM Mar 4th via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com New Sidewalk Construction On East Main St In Liberty http://bit.ly/bWxnGA
2:48 PM Mar 4th via twitterfeed

Posted a new T-Shirt design for sale! - http://www.zazzle.com/235778983328768989?rf=238289912964668774
2:07 PM Mar 4th via API

State Rep. Cato: South Carolinians deserve more school choice http://bit.ly/d9Y3Xl (via @OpenGovernmenSC)
11:39 AM Mar 4th via Twitterrific

You can watch the #SC03 debate live online http://tinyurl.com/yb7c4bf
11:38 AM Mar 4th via Twitterrific

"Oh, You're One Of Those Mac People?" - http://www.ppple.com/2010/03/oh-youre-one-of-those-mac-people.html
8:08 AM Mar 4th via web

atlibertytosay.com On The Way To Liberty ... http://bit.ly/9IcpKd
5:47 AM Mar 4th via twitterfeed

Lawmaker Nathan Ballentine says: fyi - Texting/Driving floor debate will most likely be Tuesday of next week (via @OpenGovernmenSC)
7:03 PM Mar 3rd via Twitterrific

Sealevel is hiring - Inside Sales Rep & Quality Engineer. Visit their website 4 more info http://bit.ly/SL-QualityEng (via @SealevelSystems)
4:16 PM Mar 3rd via Twitterrific

New S.C. credit card law has negative consequences http://bit.ly/cfKd6n (via @OpenGovernmenSC)
4:13 PM Mar 3rd via Twitterrific

atlibertytosay.com Wanted: Your Stories, Thoughts, Pictures, & History Of Liberty http://bit.ly/cdMU9s
3:57 PM Mar 3rd via twitterfeed

atlibertytosay.com Liberty Touchdown Club To Meet March 10, 2010 @ Rosewood Center http://bit.ly/deFWHK
2:34 PM Mar 3rd via twitterfeed

Libertarian Philosophy's Fundamental Flaw! Good to Focus on Limited Gov't But... Believe Man is Source of Rights http://tinyurl.com/FF030310
12:06 PM Mar 3rd via API
Retweeted by you and 1 other

I apologize to all my facebook & twitter followers for all the posts today - I'm networking ... trying to get the word out about my website
12:48 PM Mar 3rd via web

atlibertytosay.com Annual Fly In/Cruise In @ Pickens County Airport http://bit.ly/96R6ai
7:54 AM Mar 3rd via twitterfeed

Man accused of burning puppy faces jail time http://bit.ly/aNw6UR / They shouldn't give jail time - they should burn his puppy off
11:55 AM Mar 2nd via Twitterrific

Greenville Mayor Knox White says burying power lines is more complicated than expected & may take decades/BULL Duke Power execs $$$$!!!
11:53 AM Mar 2nd via Twitterrific

Let me see who is play fast and long time who is winner http://yfrog.com/37u80hj
8:10 AM Mar 2nd via Yfrog

atlibertytosay.com On The Way To Liberty ... http://bit.ly/b2Q0hd
7:29 AM Mar 2nd via twitterfeed

Visit the ATLIBERTYTOSAY TWITTER PAGE to follow @ATLIBERTYTOSAY to receive live updates and news that may not make it to the front page.

Liberty Area Public Schools 2010 Spring Break Schedule

2010-03-09T10:26:00.002-05:00

Spring Break

Spring Break begins on Friday March 26, 2010 when school lets out and ends Sunday April 4, 2010.

Students do not attend school:

Monday March 29, 2010
Tuesday March 30, 2010
Wednesday March 31, 2010
Thursday April 1, 2010
Friday April 2, 2010

The Other Water Towers That Serve Residents In Liberty ...

2010-03-09T06:41:00.000-05:00

* Picture of the Freeman Rd water tower serving some Liberty residents
* Near Highway 178 leaving Liberty heading towards Pickens/ Near airport

* Picture of the Southside Water District tower serving Liberty
* On Highway 178 towards Anderson leaving Liberty
These two water towers are in different water districts than the City Water water towers shown ...

HERE

&

HERE

March 2010 Liberty City Council Meeting

2010-03-08T11:02:00.010-05:00

Here are notes taken during the March 2010 Liberty City Council meeting:

The Rosewood Center was filled with trinkets all over the place in preparation for a consignment sale that's being held this weekend.

Councilman Brian Peterson was not in attendance.

Michael Sheriff filled in as Mayor Pro tem - Mayor Deese was out due to a death in the family (his brother-in-law). He was flying to Arkansas.

Please pray for Gerri and Brian as they travel, for there their safe return, and pray for them in their time of grief.

February 2010 Council meeting and February 2010 Work Session minutes were approved.

* Minutes approval were actually tabled because Sue Woods had not finished transcribing them.

* Minutes have not been published to the website since October 2009

______________________________

• Angela Scott of Dan Scott's BBQ - raised concerns about parking. She mentioned that she'd heard rumor of a proposed crosswalk and said that it would take up two parking spaces - She pleaded with city to enforce two hour parking to ask business owners to park behind their businesses Monday-Saturday 9-6. She mentioned that people are not coming to her restaurant because they can't find parking and that in turn loses the city the 2% hospitality tax.

Councilman Sheriff replied:

"The city has not enforced the 2 hr parking ordinance, maybe it's time to crack down on that."

He also mentioned that the city was no longer considering a crosswalk and that it was a "dead issue."

Sheriff clarified that hospitality taxes are spent on tourism & recreation.

Councilman Rick Clark said,

"This parking issue usually makes a two a 2 year cycle - we'll get it fixed this time."

Councilman McJunkin said the issue of downtown parking was discussed at the recent Council retreat.

Dan Scott interjected that people park personal vehicles downtown.

______________________________

Motions considered:

Councilman Sheriff made a motion for a part time employee to assist Tony Boiter at the Rec department and for council to move $5000 from contingency funds to pay for the position.

Councilman McJunkin quipped that last year there was just a guy picking up sticks and that Boiter's son was being paid.

McJunkin said,

"Things get out of control when you don't know exactly how much someone is going to get paid."

Councilman Clark remarked,

"It won't be for just picking up sticks."

Council voted. McJunkin opposed.

A motion was made for the approval of $15,000 for Islelin Field for new lights / County has agreed to match funds.

Councilman Yates mentioned that the funds also include replacement of the fence.

Yates said the money was, "needed for the safety of the children."

Councilman Clark said the money would also help fix dangerous poles that have rotted at the field.

______________________________

Recycling efforts were discussed.

Councilman Sheriff mentioned a new "Recycling Center"

He said that pavement and gravel are in place at Hedgepath Rd area and that four containers are being given to Liberty by the county. He mentioned that a sign indicating "Recycling" would be placed on 178.

______________________________

Police Chief Miller delivered the Police report:

For the month of February 2010:

125 warnings issued

110 citations issued

2 arrests at Liberty High

10 arrests were made at Liberty Middle over an assault / a gang fight??

141 calls for service

9 traffic accidents

Miller mentioned that all officers took part in taser training - 3 officers volunteered to be tasered to see what it felt like.

Councilman Clark commented that one of the Liberty Detention Officers placed 2nd in their class.

Councilman McJunkin commented on the need for the Resource Officer at Liberty Middle.
(The Middle School is at risk of losing funding to pay for a Resource Officer.)

Miller mentioned that there's already been 4 traffic accidents in March so far and that his force would be stepping up safety efforts.

He said that one police officer is leaving to be a part of the Anderson County Sheriff's office and that he was actively looking for a replacement officer.

______________________________

Assistant Fire Chief Chris Rowland delivered the Fire Department report:

For the month of February 2010:

Their were 30 calls for service / compared to 33 calls in February 2009

ATLIBERTYTOSAY COMMENT: This is the 5th month straight that calls have been down. While this is a good thing ... it also brings the massive spending on new trucks, equipment, and employees into question. Council brags on the grant money that has helped pay for all the new equipment but there is still significant taxpayer money that supports the fire department.

Rowland mentioned that there was training on operating the pumps on the fire trucks.

He mentioned that they tested hoses on the new truck and mounted equipment on the new tanker.

He also said they prepared the new ladder and oiled it up.

______________________________

Councilman Sheriff said there wasn't a Public Works report because Olin Hamlin had called and said they had an open line on Peachtree St that they were finishing up.

Councilman McJunkin mentioned that the Lakeview Dr area has 3 feet wide potholes and they need attention.

Councilman Clark said he redid an SCDOT grant.

Councilman Yates thanked the county for the new sidewalks.

He remarked, "It was kind of unexpected."

Councilman Yates also encouraged everyone about the 2010 Census,

"Get those back in."

Councilman McJunkin added that the county has really been a help to us.

Councilman Harrison added that cooperation from Mayor was positive.

Councilman Sheriff added that this weekend was Daylight Savings Time and reminded everyone to replace the batteries in their smoke detectors.

He then adjourned the meeting.

* I would like to thank my wife for helping me to take notes.

* My notes this month are not as complete as I would have liked, every "Department Report" at the podium was mumbling.

Events @ The Sarlin Library In Liberty For March 2010

2010-03-08T10:23:00.004-05:00

March 2010 Event Schedule @ Liberty's Sarlin Library

• Monday March 15, 2010 - Starlight Special, 6PM, Dr. Seuss

• Tuesday March 16, 2010 - Expressions, Science Magic, 3:30PM

• Saturday March 20, 2010 - Yack & Yarn, 10AM

• Monday March 22, 2010 Meet the Natives with Joe Townsend, 4PM

• Monday March 29, 2010 - Wii family gaming, 2PM

The Liberty Library is located @

15 South Palmetto Street
Liberty, SC 29657
(864) 843-5805

Yack & Yarn @ Sarlin Library Saturday March 20, 2010

2010-03-08T09:56:00.002-05:00

Yack & Yarn @ Sarlin Branch, Liberty!

Do you like to quilt, crochet, knit, needlepoint, or do some other kind of needlecraft? If you are an expert, or need help getting started, go to the Sarlin Branch Library in Liberty on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 10AM.

Bring your current project or come to ask for help from a fellow group member on a project you want to start.

This informal group welcomes anyone who likes to have a good time and enjoys needlecraft!

The Yack & Yarn group meets on the third Saturday of each month from 10AM- 11AM.

Participation is free and open to all.

For more information stop by or call the Sarlin Branch at 843-5805

Are The City's Water Rates Unconstitutional?

2010-03-08T08:46:00.005-05:00

Last week, this Letter To The Editor appeared in The Anderson Independent. Although it discusses oppressive water rates in Anderson County, it brings up some good points of relation to Liberty City Water.

From John Schinnagel of Anderson:

I’m no lawyer but think I understand our language and believe the 100 percent levy by the city of Anderson on non-resident customers is unconstitutional.

Article 1., Section 3, of our state Constitution states, “nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.”

Certainly the terms “any person” and “equal protection of the laws” apply to customers of privately owned utilities and customers of city-owned utilities.

However, on one side of Centerville Road, residential customers of the for-profit West Anderson water utility pay a single rate. They do so because the S.C. Public Service Commission protects them from dual-rate manipulation. On the other side of Centerville Road, Anderson city non-residents pay the city’s non-profit utility 100 percent more for water than city residents because of an absence of written laws to protect them. Both utilities are members of, and purchase water from, the same Lake Hartwell distribution system.

Under our constitution, those non-resident customers using city water are being denied equal protection of the laws that the state uses to protect West Anderson customers.

Therefore, the rates approved by the city violate our state constitution and should be rescinded.

If my understanding is wrong, I would expect an immediate reaction from City Manager John Moore defending the city’s action and refuting my logic.

But if I am right and the city is violating the constitutional rights of Anderson County citizens, I suspect the silence will be deafening.

Liberty City Council Meeting Tonight

2010-03-08T08:13:00.001-05:00

March 8, 2010

Liberty City Council Meeting
6PM at Rosewood Center (next to Ingles)

A full report here on ATLIBERTYTOSAY.COM will follow tonight's meeting.

Help Me Help You ...

2010-03-07T09:55:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, I started a part-time job working at a local PC fix it shop - hired mostly to do any Apple Computer work that came their way, but to do most anything else too.

One highlight of this job was my perk of getting to work on my websites during any down time - the one you're reading and my tech blog FIXYOURTHINKING.COM.

One day, not having my personal computer (a laptop), I asked the owner of the PC shop if I could use his computer to look at my website. I noticed that the formatting was off. I couldn't figure out why ... then he made the quip ...

"None of your ads are showing up."

I said, "Oh, why is that?"

He told me he had ad-blocking software turned on and that he hated ads.

My Google adsense ads and a few private ad contracts are the major motivation for keeping this site going. This website actually pays my bills. If you have ad blocking turned on, you take away from what Google measures as a hit on my webpage. Not even viewing ads hurts my revenue stream, without which I would not be able to make the time to update this site.

To give you some statistics:

- The "Recording Phone Calls" reference which I answer and update religiously is viewed over 5000 times monthly.

- This website almost solely has been the reason Pickens County Council has changed direction on the fining for recycling issue

- This website WAS THE ONLY way in which several Liberty residents received resolution for their lost animals.

- This website is the ONLY SOURCE for up to date detailed minutes from Liberty City Council meetings without spin

- This website gets more pageviews PER DAY than the City Of Liberty website receives each month.

On my other website:

- My "Together Dating" reference and "Bidzirk" story have become major parts of litigation to protect consumers, bloggers, and constitutional rights.

Here's a poignant article summary from a website I frequently read called ARS TECHNICA about the importance of advertisement:

"Ars Technica recently conducted a 12-hour experiment in which story content was hidden from users of popular ad blocking tools. Explaining the experiment, Ken Fisher appealed to Ars's readership:

'My argument is simple: blocking ads can be devastating to the sites you love. I am not making an argument that blocking ads is a form of stealing, or is immoral, or unethical, or makes someone the son of the devil. It can result in people losing their jobs, it can result in less content on any given site, and it definitely can affect the quality of content. It can also put sites into a real advertising death spin. As ad revenues go down, many sites are lured into running advertising of a truly questionable nature. We've all seen it happen. I am very proud of the fact that we routinely talk to you guys in our feedback forum about the quality of our ads. I have proven over 12 years that we will fight on the behalf of readers whenever we can. Does that mean that there are the occasional intrusive ads, expanding this way and that? Yes, sometimes we have to accept those ads. But any of you reading this site for any significant period of time know that these are few and far between. We turn down offers every month for advertising like that out of respect for you guys. We simply ask that you return the favor and not block ads.'"

Liberty Lost All At Once ...

2010-03-07T07:55:00.005-05:00

"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once."
~ David Hume

While sources such as Wikipedia paint Hume as an atheist - other sources portray his writing as lightly battling the underpinning of the Catholic Church. Had he gone further, he would have been accused of heresy - so it seems a lot of his words have been misinterpreted to have more meaning than they actually did.

From Wikipedia:

Hume achieved great literary fame as a historian. His enormous The History of Great Britain, tracing events from the Saxon kingdoms to the Glorious Revolution, was a best-seller in its day. In it, Hume presented political man as a creature of habit, with a disposition to submit quietly to established government unless confronted by uncertain circumstances.

The "texting while driving" issue has really gotten me thinking about this quote lately. It's enforcement is the bull's warm wet breath on the downed matador's cheek.

An Op-ed about "The Curious Case Of The Distracted Driver"

2010-03-05T20:17:00.006-05:00

The Curious Case Of The Distracted Driver

by Philip Smith

Today, a very tragic accident took place just outside the Liberty city limits ... an Anderson man was hit head on by a car driving in his lane.

For the majority of the day, the headlines described only a few facts about the types of cars involved, then ended with "an investigation is pending."

As "facts" surfaced - it seems the driver that caused the accident was coerced to make a statement about the cause. Without the consultation or proper advice from an attorney (her right before making the statement) it seems she admitted to using her cell phone - texting while driving.

Now, the proponents of texting while driving legislation are shouting, "See!"

Plain and simple: Distracted driving contributed to the accident. The woman "texting" was also not wearing her seatbelt.

While very tragic, this is obviously not a situation where the driver was conscious of hers or anyone else's safety. She would have STILL been texting had a law been in place. Why? How long has a "mandatory seatbelt" law been in place?

We should think about this as our cities and State pass "texting while driving" laws - are they doing it for revenue or for public safety?

[UPDATE] I feel that an important detail should be added to this story - the woman failed a sobriety test. She has now been charged with felony DUI. Texting had little to do with her driving problem. I'll also reiterate that she was not wearing her seatbelt.

Auto Collision In Liberty Results In Tragedy

2010-03-05T10:47:00.005-05:00

As reported by The Anderson Independent:

One person is dead and another was injured in a two-vehicle crash early this morning on U.S. 178 near Anderson.

State Highway Patrol Trooper Billy Elder said a 2006 Mitsubishi collided head-on with a 1998 Ford van shortly before 1AM today.

The accident happened on U.S. 178 about eight miles west of Anderson, Elder said.

The driver of the Mitsubishi was injured and taken to AnMed Hospital, Elder said.

The driver of the van died as a result of the crash.

The name of the deceased was being withheld this morning pending notification of family.

Elder said the cause of the accident was still under in investigation early today.