News - Friday, October 21, 2011

At the top of the list of things least likely to be heard following a CLE seminar is the phrase, “I had a rip-roaring good time.” CLE seminars are supposed to be educational, not entertaining! Even more perplexing was the topic of the class that inspired a Fulton County, Ga., legal journalist to pen her puzzling assessment: trial techniques.

Sheila Wilson, owner of Wilson Court Reporting Agency and president of the Tennessee Court Reporters Association (TCRA), has fought to gain anti-contracting legislation in court reporting not once, but twice. Now it appears she might have to go in for another round.

Monday, October 23

E.H. Hines, general manager of Peerless Woolen Mills, confirmed the recent statement of J. M. Love, chairman of the board of Burlington Industries, Inc., that the Rossville plant will be closed “about December 31, 1961.”  Layoff of workers at the plant will continue ad present orders are filled and shipped. A few weeks ago a total of 1750 persons were employed, last week only 950 were listed on the payroll.

I am sitting alone in the Levison Towers on a Sunday night. Yesterday was a great day for college football, today I have the media room television to myself to watch playoff baseball. I don’t even mind being cooped up indoors tonight, since I found a way to pry open one of the windows here on the 23rd floor and the cool fall air is all around me.

I am not sure that I have ever protested anything short of a bad call on a football field. In fact, looking back, I am sure I have never been part of any real protest. I had a friend that was going to New York two weeks ago and I asked him to get a picture taken of him among the protesters. I did not encourage him to protest, just to get a picture.

This year Tennessee could witness the highest production of corn on record since 1917 if forecasters are right, so says the USDA Agricultural Statistics Services for Tennessee. It is being forecasted that the state’s corn crop will see a harvest of 100 million bushels, and during the recent weeks of dry weather, Tennessee’s farmers are making significant progress in getting this year’s crop in the bins.

It is always a joy to play a role in the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductions at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. This year’s event was especially moving as the industry honored eight of those who made the world of gospel music a bit richer for those who have listened, those who have sang, and those who have read about it.

I heard the pop and knew immediately something was wrong. We were on the sixth hole of our fifth match, behind and needing something good to happen. I hit a solid drive on the long par four with the severe left to right sloping fairway and had picked a nine-iron for the next 150-yards to the pin. So the ball was below my feet, which becomes even farther when you’re six feet four.

LITTLE ROCK – Sat., Oct. 15, 2011. Oh, what a beautiful morning! The sun rose brightly over the eastern edge of the city, its beams shimmering on the Arkansas River and reflecting off the edges of the Clinton Presidential Library. For those who’d made the trip to Sturgis Hall for the fifth annual Clinton School Puzzle Festival, a touristy atmosphere was the order of the day.

By day, Blowing Streams Farm is a peaceful attraction featuring the “Enchanted Corn Maize,” a rollicking hayride, and sweet treats like funnel cakes and deep fried Oreos. When nightfall comes, the sprawling farm is transformed into Blowing Screams Farm, where the Forest of Fear and GhostRide are the main attractions at this very scary locale.

I could not be married to a trucker. From what I’ve heard from my family members, who drive trucks, they stay away for weeks a time. No thank you. Parish was working on a commercial job in Bryant last week and had to stay in Center Ridge because he needed to haul his 16-foot trailer every day. There is no safe place to keep the humongous trailer at our apartment complex, so he has to keep it at his parents.

This one is going to take a little thinking on your part – both mathematically and historically. Give your school days a refresher. See how many you can answer correctly.

1. What does 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 equal?

2. What is the most popular name requested for a boat? Retired; Love Boat; Obsession; Wife’s name.

All creatures in nature, from the lowly flea to huge black bears, have a purpose. One category of animals in-between this spectrum with an incredibly important purpose is birds of prey, also known as raptors. Dale Kernahan Stokes is president of the environmental non-profit organization Save Our American Raptors, or SOAR, and she says that without predators like these raptors, humans would be overrun with rodents and all sorts of different critters.

When the offensive players on a football team take to the field, they have one purpose: reach the end zone. There’s just one thing in their way: the opposing team’s defense. While the offense has the drive to score a touchdown, it might not know how to overcome the block of opposing players.

The literal job description of a Realtor may be composed of a couple of paragraphs where key concepts like customer service, client interaction, and knowledge of basic computer skills might be listed. Although this description may provide a surface value appraisal of what a Realtor may be expected to do, Shannon Wilson says her job description as a Realtor extends far beyond this to include anything that helps her clients and brings a deal to a close.

“I feel like our country would be in a lot better shape if we were keeping people in their houses.” That statement may sound a bit odd coming from the president and principal broker of REO Services for Crye-Leike Realtors in East Tennessee, Cindy Walker.

The cooler days and nights we have been experiencing lately have me craving big, hearty pots of soups and stews accompanied with piping hot slices of fresh-from-the-oven cornbread or cornbread sticks. Stews are so simple to prepare in the crock-pot; all of the ingredients can be assembled the night before and with about 15 minutes of time the next morning – you’ll have a hot, delicious dinner waiting when you walk in from work.

In 1961, Paul Newman starred as pool shark Fast Eddie Felson in “The Hustler.” On the surface, it appears the movie is about hustling people for money. However, the game of pool merely provides a backdrop for Felson’s redemptive climb from arrogant jerk to decent human being.

Prospecting is the most efficient lead generator ever created. All it takes is time and a little bit of skill. You don’t need large amounts of money to prospect well. When I entered real estate sales, prospecting was my only option, since I was undercapitalized in starting my business – translation…Broke!