I would like to say I hate it when I’m right, but Jiminy Crickets, I am right so much that if I spent all that time hating myself, I wouldn’t have time to hate broccoli. And I really hate broccoli.
Case in point: I went out on a limb last week, predicting the political platforms of all the candidates for all the offices in the upcoming election in Georgia.
I said I thought they would all promise to: lower our taxes, reduce crime, shrink the size of government, create jobs, stand up to powerful special interest groups, fight bureaucracy, secure our borders, take care of our veterans, improve education, and fix Medicare.
In watching the debates last week, it was pretty clear that all the candidates are firmly committed to (inhale) creating jobs, standing up to powerful special interest groups, fighting bureaucracy, securing our border, taking care of our veterans, on anfixingix Medicare.
(Exhale.) Am I good or am I good?
The one exception among the candidates is the mudslinging between businessman Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. They have collectively taken negative advertising to a new low — or high, depending on your perspective.
Jackson has reportedly spent some $47 million and Jones roughly $26 million ripping each other to pieces. All of this for a job that pays $182,000.
My two cents’ worth? I’m tired of both of them and their ads.
One of the perks of my job at BellSouth was having a staff in Washington, which allowed me to attend the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.
It is no cliché to say everybody who was anybody was there, including the president. The media roasting the president in good fun, followed by the president responding with a few zingers of his own, was what the evening was all about.
Much fun.
I was surprised and pleased that the thinnest-skinned president in the history of our republic finally agreed to attend. I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out.
And then, suddenly, the surreal attempted assassination.
There is talk of perhaps rescheduling the event. I hope they do. The nation could use a little healing, and laughter is the best medicine.
I will have more to say about this later, but be forewarned that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge remains a target for those seeking to mine the site for titanium dioxide. Hence, this world never runs short of toothpaste whitener.
Yes, the Conservation Fund purchased the 8,000-acre Twin Pines tract, and yes, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources bought almost 4,000 acres of that land. It will create a new wildlife management area, but there is still a lot of land along Trail Ridge available for mining, and companies remain interested in doing just that.
As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over,” and this threat isn’t over by a long shot. Stay tuned.
I saw a clip on TV recently showing three police officers in the Queens area of New York City responding to a domestic dispute at 3 a.m.
As they approached the door, the house suddenly exploded. Their body cameras showed the three being knocked to the ground. Later, it was revealed they had suffered injuries.
So what did they do?
They got back up and rescued survivors.
That is what police do, and the next time I hear some Gen-Whatevers talking about defunding the police, I am going to throw up on their Birkenstocks. We need the police more than we need that bunch of ungrateful ignoramuses.
Finally, in the you-ca n’t-make-this-stuff-up department, it turns out former Georgia and Miami quarterback Carson Beck will have to take a pay cut after being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the recent NFL Draft.
Beck reportedly made $6 million at Miami. As an NFL rookie, he will make $1.34 million.
As my sweet mama would say, bless his heart.
You can reach Dick Yarbrough at Dick Yarbrough's official website or at P.O. Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139.