Thrifty Car Rental Named the Official Rental Car Company of The Brunswick Isles Golf Trail

Are you serious?

(I could not resist the urge to talk about this headline when I saw it on Newswire.)

How does one come to win this prestigious award? Were the other car rental companies aware of this award? Were they in the running? Who voted? What was the criterion? Why is this award even necessary? Was there an official award ceremony?

Is it just me or are product endorsements and sponsorships completely out of hand these days? The Smucker's Halftime Report, the Bud Light post-game show, the Miller pre-game show, the Snickers player of the game.

Even the weather on the weather channel is now sponsored by such and such company! Sorry, I thought the Weather Channel was sponsored by my $100 and something a month cable bill!!!

Seems to me that endorsements and sponsorships is just another way for companies to extort more money out of advertisers and to discreetly put more advertising in front of us!

Give me a break!

Good Deed At Walmart

An employee identified only as "Al" recently found $60 in cash (probably almost a day's pay after Uncle Sam gets his) lying on the floor in the electronics section at Walmart in Southport. Instead of pocketing the money, which many, myself included, would have done, Al took the money to the Customer Service desk to be held in the safe in case anyone should come looking for it.

Congratulations Al, you did the right thing.

I would have taken the money and justified it by thinking... "anyone who is dumb enough to lose $60 in cash doesn't deserve the money in the first place." But not Al. Al probably thought... "man I bet it feels terrible to lose $60. Let me take this to a safe place in case the person comes looking for it."

Now, before you go on thinking I am some uncaring, rotten human being, I have found several wallets full of money and credit cards in my lifetime. I have without question gone way out of my way to return these wallets, with the cash, to their rightful owners. Losing your credit cards, driver's license, Social Security Card, etc., now that is bad news. Losing a few dollars because of your own carelessness, that is just a minor penalty.

Finders keeper!

Cyber Parlors Springing Up Like Weeds in Brunswick County

Photo By Paul Stephen

Come on folks! Let's call a duck for what it is!

These lowlife gaming parlors are invading our communities under the guise of some simple minded sweepstakes game. By playing with words and definitions these hucksters are slipping through the cracks of local laws with little or no regulation. In fact, in knee-jerk fashion, many localities are attempting to control these gaming parlors through zoning regulation until further legislation can be passed to legally control these new menace to our society.

If you remember back to the nineties Myrtle Beach faced a similar problem of the quick-buck vermin opening gambling parlors under similar word playing games. If I recall the operators of theses parlors insisted their games were games of luck and not skill. This somehow eased through the laws of Myrtle Beach at the time. Those parlors lasted no more than a year or two before the laws were tightened up and the shady operators packed there stuff and moved on to the next get-rich scheme. Myrtle Beach said "NO" to these undesirable establishments and in time so will Brunswick County.

Don't get me wrong. I am all in favor of legalized gambling, but let's do it legitimately, instead of some marginal business on the outskirts of society. Let's make Myrtle Beach the Las Vegas of the East. Myrtle Beach all ready has the shows, the restaurants, the golf, the beach, the lodging, the housing and the infrastructure to support legalized gaming. Add gambling to this already impressive resume and we will have quite a nice playground right in our own backyard.

But let's do it right. Let's not play word games and skate around the law. This will only attract low-end operators and a low-end clientele, something I do not want in my backyard!

Lawsuits Run Rampant in Death Hispanic Worker

Jose Antonio Montalvo.

Does this name mean anything to you? Probably not.

Jose was a hard working young man that rose early each morning at his home in Sumter, South Carolina and rode to the construction site of the new bridge to Oak Island. Jose worked hard to support his wife and three children.

When I first heard the story of his fateful day of December 3rd, 2008 I admit I got choked up. I could not help but to think of his wife and kids. What would they do?

Now almost a year later, the lawyers are still duking it out in the court rooms. Leave it to the attorneys to straighten things out.

A lawsuit was filed in Craven County Superior Court against the general contractor seeking $10,000 worth of actual damages and an unspecified amount of punitive damages.

A second suit was filed on behalf of another injured worker.

A tort claim was filed by another attorney against the N.C. Department of Transportation.

A worker's compensation claim has been prepared and filed.

There are attorneys from Myrtle Beach, Wilmington, Raleigh, New Bern and beyond involved with these various suits. All looking for a piece of the pie.

The claims and suits will likely go on for years before being settled out or court for an unspecified amount. The attorneys will make a bunch of money.

Do you think this benefits Mrs. Montalvo in any way? Do you think she cares about the money?

2009 U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament Winner

Wining Team: Larry Deal

Boat: Mako Warrior

Fish Weight: 40.30lbs.

More U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament Coverage>>>