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Holabird Advocate
Providing all the news we see fit to print since 2002!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Senator Johnson to Retire?
All of major media outlets and most of the minor ones have reported that Senator Tim Johnson going to retire from Public life after 28 years in Washington. The Senator's office will neither confirm nor deny this, but at 3pm Holabird time, Senator Johnson will make the official announcement of his plans for 2014.
All of us here at the Holabird Advocate must admit that we believe he will retire as well. In the event that he goes against the grain and decides to make a grand "Last Hurrah" effort, we believe he will be rather handily defeated. Should he decide to retire he will be able to brag that he never lost an election. Very few Democrats in SD can boast of such a feat.
Whatever the Senator decides to do next year, all of us here at the Holabird Advocate wish him well!
Publisher in Xanadu by Jerry Hinkle
It's , as the song says, "a place where nobody dares to go", and I your courageous dynamic Publisher went there on Sunday afternoon. I vaguely recall that there was a movie staring Olivia Newton-John by the same name, although I never saw it. turns out I didn't have to in order to enjoy the DWU Theatre production.
When I got to the Patten-Wing Theatre, I found a seat as out of the way as possible. I noticed there were seats on the stage. I asked an usher how much the people on stage had to pay for their tickets. When the usher replied, Nothing, in fact, there are empty seats so you could go up there if you like" That was ALL I needed to hear.
Once on stage, there was a nice young gentleman who walked us through the interactive portion of the show. It was a little thrilling to be able to watch the show and be in it at the same time. If I but had the time and money, I'd have gone to every performance! Looking forward to Les Miserables next year!
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Verdict: Hang Up Don't Fall for Jury Duty Scam
All of us here at the Holabird Advocate thank the FBI Website fbi.gov for this information as well as Ken and Joan Hansen for bringing this to our attention:
The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.
This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam.
Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen a resurgence in recent months. Communities in more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about cold calls from people claiming to be court officials seeking personal information. As a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.
The scam's bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. Facing the unexpected threat of arrest, victims are caught off guard and may be quick to part with some information to defuse the situation.
"They get you scared first," says a special agent in the Minneapolis field office who has heard the complaints. "They get people saying, 'Oh my gosh! I'm not a criminal. What's going on?'" That's when the scammer dangles a solution-a fine, payable by credit card, that will clear up the problem.
With enough information, scammers can assume your identity and empty your bank accounts.
"It seems like a very simple scam," the agent adds. The trick is putting people on the defensive, then reeling them back in with the promise of a clean slate. "It's kind of ingenious. It's social engineering."
In recent months, communities in Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Hampshire reported scams or posted warnings or press releases on their local websites. In August, the federal court system issued a warning on the scam and urged people to call their local District Court office if they receive suspicious calls. In September, the FBI issued a press release about jury scams and suggested victims also contact their local FBI field office.
In March, USA.gov, the federal government’s information website, posted details about jury scams in their Frequently Asked Questions area. The site reported scores of queries on the subject from website visitors and callers seeking information.
The jury scam is a simple variation of the identity-theft ploys that have proliferated in recent years as personal information and good credit have become thieves' preferred prey, particularly on the Internet. Scammers might tap your information to make a purchase on your credit card, but could just as easily sell your information to the highest bidder on the Internet's black market.
Protecting yourself is the key: Never give out personal information when you receive an unsolicited phone call.
Resources:
- Common Fraud Schemes
- Jury Fraud Press Release (09/28/05)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Cold Snap on First Day of Spring!
Our Publisher woke up this morning to see 9 degrees on the thermometer. He thought nothing of it, until he was en route to the home office and heard on the radio that today was the 1st day of Spring. You just know those E=mc square-heads are gonna blame this cold snap on global warming, too! Ah yes, but the geese are still flying north, so we know this cold weather won't be around long!
Publisher Loses America
This morning, Holabird Advocate Publisher, Jerry Hinkle was so cold that he went to his favorite neighborhood coffee shop where America had a caramel mocha with his name on it. For some reason, she decided to pop the question. You know, the question that all women ask before they get serious about a feller. That question: "What do you do?"
At first, Jerry thought it was some sort of accusation. He had to come up with an answer, and an honest one at that. "I work at Pizza Hut.", he said boldly. After all, he didn't want to tell her that he was a blogger. The she asked "What do you do at Pizza Hut?" So he told her that he washed dishes.
All of the sudden, it was just as chilly inside the coffee house as it was outside. "I thought you were a self employed businessman of some kind. I mean you always dress nice, and you pay with $20 bills" At that moment Jerry became the mayor of Awkward City. On the bright side, Jerry is still a great actor. After all, he was able to convince a young lady that he's only known since last October that he was a successful businessman, and he wasn't even trying.
Looking for the Next Kneip by Jerry Hinkle
Every chance I get, I like to listen to "100 eyes on SD Politics" on the Argus Leader website. Like the Holabird Advocate the same things get talked about, except they only do it once a week. Here lately the three wiseguys have been talking about the governor's race in 2014. It is a year away, and there is nobody that appears to be even remotely interested in taking on out current Governor.
As a political maverick these days, I have no loyalty to either party, despite being a registered Democrat. I'm also a likely voter who loves to have a choice, even if it's an easy one. I have never voted for the Republican candidate, for SD governor, but next year could change that. Is it really that difficult to find someone willing to run for Governor? Of course it is! Governor Daaugaurd, despite whatever human frailties he's has, does appear to be a shoe-in for re-election.
What the Democrats need is another Dick Kneip. He ran against Frank Farrar, a man my own Grandad said was a "good Republican", when he was up for re-election, and managed to come out on top. Is there another Kneip out there? If so where is he (or she, come on ladies) hiding?
The 100 eyes guys seem to think Bernie Hunhoff will be the go-to guy when next year rolls around. I wish Mr. Hunhoff would run again, because I need another t-shirt. I'd vote for him too! Trouble is, he ran and was soundly defeated. That election of 1998 was a hard lesson for me about getting emotionally involved in politics, to say nothing of what it did for him. And campaigns are expensive to run, as well as to finance.
Bottom line: If Mr. Hunhoff is in, I'll get behind him, committing all the resources at my disposal to do so. If someone else comes along with the same guts, grit and determination as Dick Kneip comes along, I'll get behind him (or her) as well! But even a candidate like Uncle Jake is better than no candidate at all. In any case, let's keep looking! God be with you and do the best you can!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Global Warming?
On this date last year, Mitchell had a high temperature of 80 degrees. Today we are forecast 26 degrees for a high. Some around the big city are wondering where all that global warming is going.All of us here at the Holabird Advocate like a good global warming joke as much as the next guy, but there is one detail that we have overlooked. It is true that 26 degrees for the middle of march is quite chilly. Still, we've had a mild winter. Yes we've had winter Storms Athena and Kathleen and all of them in between, but we've had fewer sub zero days. Our Publisher, when pressed, had to admit that he has only needed to warm his car battery with the portable generator twice this year. That is to say that as cold as it has been, it could have been colder, but it wasn't. Does his mean we are admitting that global warming exists? By no means! But we are going to admit that is is possible that is could exist and keeping an open mind.
Xanadu a Hit!
No reviews are in but the audience reaction to DWU Theatre's production of Xanadu, not surprisingly, has been over the moon and back! All of us here at the Holabird Advocate are thrilled about this. Our Publisher has a ticket to next Sundays performance and is in a state of joyful anticipation of theatre magic! We send the cast, crew and director our hardiest congratulations on a job well done so far!
Publisher's Notes by Jerry Hinkle
Thanks to all of you Readers out there for not complaining about the extended hiatus breaks between posts that seem to be happening more and more lately. A lot of the time, there seems to be nothing to write about, and when there is something happening, it is something I'd rather not touch on. The homicide in Chamberlain for example. Those who want to read about that can go to the Daily Republic. If I thought I could do a better job then they do, I'd go to it, but I prefer to sat nothing, because I have nothing to say about it.
There are some times that I wish the burden of being courageous and dynamic would fall to someone else. When I was little, I wanted to be a comedian, but my mother was afraid people would laugh at me. Truth is I was always afraid people wouldn't. Take the story of the boy who was banned from making armpit farts in the school talent show, if you care to. I've always said that if I can do it, it's not art! Well, I can't make armpit farts, but this kid can not only do that, I'll told he can also make them with his neck, leg, and his ear. Unlike me, this kid has a mother who is all for her son sharing his gas with the world. That just makes me appreciate my own mother that much more. Thanks Mom! You're the cats!
God be with you and do the best you can!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Xanadu to Debut Tomorrow Night
DWU Theatre's production of "Xanadu" is set to open at the Patten-Wing Theatre Friday March 15 at 7:30. Our Publisher will miss opening night of the production because of prior commitments, but he has secured a ticket to the closing performance. This production appears to be a most ambitious undertaking. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate can hardly wait to see the magic unfold!
My Tuppence Worth by Jerry Hinkle
Last night I was talking to one of the Fusion Pastor's wives and their 2 children. The daughter was telling me about her backyard bird feeder. That caused me to think of the movie Mary Poppins. I can't quite recall what brought up the subject in the movie, but Ms. Poppins was telling Michael Banks about the little old woman selling bird seed for "Tuppence a bag". That lead me to recall that Mr. Banks wanted his son to invest that same tuppence in the, to be specific, in the Dawes, Tomes Mosley, Grubs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank. Quite a dilemma, eh?
Spoilers abound hereafter, so please watch the movie before reading further. Despite the Bankers' thoughtful and well reasoned appeal for the tuppence, the boy raised such a fuss that he caused, indirectly, a run on the bank for the first time since 1773. Kids! what can you do?
Life was so simple back in 1910, when the movie was set. With King Edward VII on the throne, it was the age of men, or so we are told! Women wanted the vote, and were not above a little civil disobedience in order to get it (I'm sure they have it now). And the tuppence went to the birds instead of helping to maintain the British Empire.
The reason Mr. Banks did not want his son to feed the birds was supposedly because he was afraid the birds would get fat. I wonder if, after those birds were fed if perhaps they didn't pay Michael back by using his hair as a toilet.Then again, it could be seen as an act of kindness to feed the birds. I'm sure our Heavenly Father smiles on those who feed the sparrows.
Back in 1910, the British Empire was going strong, now not so much. But the Kingdom of Heaven still thrives. Where will you invest your tuppence? God be with you and do the best you can!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Habemus Papam! Pope Francis Becomes First Non European Pontiff
The media circus known as Popefest 2013 is coming to an end with the election of the first pontiff from the new world, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina. He has selected the name Pope Francis I. He is 76 years old, so if he serves to age 85 as his predecessor did, he'll be around a while.
According to the Wikipedia, Pope Francis appears to hold the same opinions on abortion and euthanasia as his forbears. His stance on homosexuality is pretty much the same, though he teaches the importance of respecting individuals who are homosexual. He opposed efforts of the government in his native Argentina to legalise same sex marriage, as well as stating that adoption by those who are gay is a form of discrimination against children.
All of us here at the Holabird Advocate wish our friends of the Catholic faith well in this new era in their Church and congratulate Pope Francis on his election.
Behind Blue Eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you!
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
And If I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And If I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Popefest 2013 Begins
The Papal conclave has begun in Rome. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate have noticed the media circus that has followed the event. Our Publisher is glad that this sort of thing does not happen very often. The selection of a Pope seems to be a long drawn out affair. It makes the Electoral College look simple by comparison. Hopefully it won't take long! Some wonder if the papacy is necessary to the Church. Yet the Queen still reigns in England, the King in Spain. There is something nice about the old traditions. True the media does seem to be going overboard, but then every minute they give to the pope is one less minute they give to the Kardashians!
Remembering Anne Frank
It was 68 years ago today that 15 year old Anneliese Marie "Anne" Frank died in a concentration camp in northwestern Germany. For two years,she kept a diary as she and her family hid from Nazis in an attic known as "The Secret Annex" in Amsterdam, until Aug. 4, 1944, when the family was discovered and sent away. The diary was later discovered and even though publishers thought it too dark and depressing, it has since became a worldwide bestseller.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Behar out Hasselbeck stays on "The View"
Earlier today it was announced that Joy Behar will be leaving "The View" A television talk show that, as our Publisher recalls starred a 4 headed monster. There has also been speculation that Elisabeth Hasselbeck may also be on the way out, but she has been spared unemployment so far. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate were shocked to here this. By "this" we mean that "The View" is still on the air!
Winter Storm Kathleen Disrupts Weekend
The Kornfield County area had about .17 of an inch of rain topped off with an inch and a half of snow over the weekend. Driving around Mitchell was difficult, but not impossible for our Publisher. He drove extra special carefully Saturday night. He was stopped at the corner of Burr and Havens because of the red light, when another driver was moving toward him at what seemed an alarming rate. The driver did swerve to miss him and manage to miss rear ending the car.
Sunday brought a little more snow, and some blowing, which in addition to the time change lowered church attendance somewhat. The snow stopped in time for the closing performance of "Alone Together" at the Pepsi-Cola Theatre. After that, Pizza Hut sent word that the services of our Publisher would not be required that evening, so he didn't have to change clothes!
Appointment in Samaria by Jerry Hinkle
This morning has I studied my Upper Room lesson, my eyes were opened to something new. The scripture was the account of the Great Commission found in Acts 1. This account mentions going into Samaria by name, the only one to do so. It brings up an interesting point.
Jesus told us to love our enemies. As a Jew, Jesus had no greater enemy than the Samaritans. It was customary for the Jew of that time to go around Samaria, but Jesus went through Samaria, and even talked to the locals. The woman at the well was a Samaritan! A "good" Samaritan was held up as an example. No wonder the Pharisees wanted him dead! This was radical behavior!
Do you have Samaritans in your life, despised people that you try to avoid at all cost? There sure are some people that do, and I find them on Facebook. There are quite a few of them. Do you use disgusting words like libtard or repubnazi either online or in person to anyone? That person is YOUR Samaritan! I really hope you don't use those words (for sure you don't use both of them for the intended purpose) or any other epithet of hatred.
Hatred is a very contagious mental disorder, and a very dangerous one. How do we love our enemies? That's a question that has been causing Christian scholars to scratch their heads for thousands of years, and yet Jesus has shown us by example that it can be done. the rest of us, myself included must work on this. There are people who smuggle bibles into China and those who walk across the street to try to make peace with their neighbor. Which one are you? God be with you and do the best you can!
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
JR Ewing Shot Dead by Jerry Hinkle
On episode 2.7 of the new Dallas show on TNT Monday night, all of those who cared to watch it saw JR Ewing get shot, or at least they heard it. When I saw it yesterday morning, I was kinda disappointed. As I thought about it later on, however, I realized that even with all of the technology available, TNT did the best they could to have the human oil slick known as John Ross Ewing Jr. go out with style. Personally I'd have preferred a plane crash or a bomb.
Instead of concentrating on what they did wrong, I must say that it was nice that the writers let JR say that he was proud of John Ross III before he ate lead. Many fathers don't get the chance to tell their sons that, and many sons don't get to hear it.
The funeral episode next week looks interesting for several reasons. Cliff Barnes coming over to pay his "disrespects" as he said in the preview was quite funny while at the same time pathetic. Lets not forget that 20 years ago Cliff bought Ewing for Oil at a bargain price and turned it into Barnes Global. He beat JR! Truth be told JR never recovered from that loss. It'll be nice to see how the Ewings deal with him.
Ancient Greek Mythology told the story of how kings on earth made the gods angry. The kings of this era seem to be the 1%. The story of JR Ewing should evolve into one of the greatest legends of all time, right up there with John Henry and Casey Jones. time will tell I guess! God be with you and do the best you can!
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Winter Storm Jake?
Sometimes live Doppler sees snow that isn't there. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate were ready for the next big snow storm since Saturday. Last night we got a light dusting of snow and a little wind. Winter storm Jake did manage to bring a few squall into Hyde County, but we've heard no snow totals as of yet. The school bus ran on time, so it wasn't that bad out there.
Help Wanted: Sentinel
It appears that South Dakota Schools are going to have the option of having an armed sentinel on school grounds. Our Publisher thought that being the HHS sentinel would be a nice job for his father, Harold Hinkle, since he likes to be around people, and knows how to use a gun properly. Harold has other ideas, however. He'd only take a job like that is he only had one bullet and could keep it in his pocket.
Our Publisher doesn't want that job either. Recent weather changes have made his fingers stiff. Also, the last time Jerry practiced his "quick draw' he shot himself in the foot!
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Watching for Winter Storm Jake
Everyone in the Kornfield County area is going to be in a Winter Storm Watch, for what hopefully will be the last winter storm of the season. The storm should be in the area tomorrow night. Keep you scoop shovel handy and hunt up a snow brush! If it gets really bad, bake cookies!
Young Wife and Mother Dies Suddenly
Many unanswered questions surround the death at age 25 of Parome Heng, a popular server at the Twin Dragon Restaurant and Lounge. We will not attempt to answer any of them, because, at least for now, those answers are known only to God. All that we know for sure is that she gave birth to her second daughter last week, and died 3 days later. For further details, feel free to read today's front page article in the Daily Republic.
The first rule of food service is to connect with your customer. This, is something that Mrs. Heng did well, not only at the Twin Dragon, but at Heng Heng, a restaurant owned by her brother in law. Mrs. Heng was so connected to her customers that there has been a good deal of support sent to the family by those customers who miss her, and will continue to do so. We've been told that Mrs. Heng had dreams of opening her own restaurant, but sadly, that wasn't to be.
Our Publisher attended a fundraiser at the Twin Dragon yesterday. All proceeds from the sale of Kung Pao Chicken, which he ordered despite giving up peanuts for Lent, went to her family. For those who were served by Mrs. Heng for the 6 years that she worked in this community,their grief will eventually subside. It is the hope of all of us here at the Holabird Advocate that those same customers will keep her family in their prayers, as we will beacause their grief will take a while longer. And while it is right that her passing away should cause us sorrow, let us remember her with the same joy and fondness that she gave to us in life!
Memories of the Forest Theatre by Jerry Hinkle
When I was growing up, going to the movies was a luxury. The fact that the nearest movie house was 50 miles away didn't help. But even when we did go, the expense of a movie ticket kept those visits to once or twice a year. That was not the case in Forest City, Iowa. Whenever we went to visit the branch of the family that lived there, a trip to the Forest Theatre was always on the to do list, time permitting.
As I searched through my memory, I only visited 3 times to that movie house, but each trip was memorable. Gandhi was the first movie I can remember, mostly because it was so long! My brother's and I saw the Outsiders. That was a powerful movie as well. And Schindler's List was the last movie I saw back in 1994. I remember having to pay $1 for popcorn and $2 for an adult ticket. I often wondered how they stayed in business. With this current push to save the movie house I can see that they couldn't. That s one reason I'd lie to see the place for myself this summer. I'd like to see what is changing and what stays the same. Until then, I'm going to keep my remarks about the theatre to a minimum, since nobody seems to care anyway! God be with you and do the best you can!
Friday, March 01, 2013
Jerry Hinkle Volunteers to Serve as Pope
With Pope Benedict XVI out of office, the Catholic Church is without a figurehead leader. Holabird Advocate Publisher, Jerry Hinkle Thought that he could fill in for a couple weeks until they found a steady man. As it turns out, the Cardinals have it under control. Jerry is taking the rejection in stride, replying, "This gives me more time to work on my Song Pop Game."
All kidding aside, all of us here at the Holabird Advocate hope and pray the transition goes well!
Opie and Daisy Turn 59!
On this date in 1954, Ron Howard and Catherine Bach were born. Earlier today on our Publisher's Facebook page, he asked his "friends what Opie and Daisy had in common. Most of those answers were more like wisecracks, but as it turns out they did have some things in common, So here is a Top Ten list from our home office in Mitchell, South Dakota:
1. They are both fictional
2. Both grew up without a mother
3.Both grew up with a parent's sibling of a different gender as a role model
4. They both grew up in a small rural area
5. The TV shows there were on aired on CBS
6. Both worked with Denver Pyle
7. Neither of them have been to my house for breakfast
8. Vicky Vetter doesn't know either one of them
9. Both learned how to work as children
10. No matter what the actor who played them does in the future, they will always be called by their character's names in the press!
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