Local Greenville, SC Weather
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
A Change Is In The Air
I have been thinking about things going on in my life a lot lately. Although I have been living here in South Carolina for going on 13 years, which is the longest time I have ever lived in the same area, I don't feel as stable in my life as I want to. I like living in the Upstate of South Carolina and have no plans on leaving this area. I guess I have been looking for what makes ME happy in my life since the passing of my mother in 2012. I spent so much time helping her and taking care of her that I decided I would take time for myself now and do what makes me happy. I love my profession as a Law Enforcement Officer and know that was the right choice for me. It is hard to find a place that you can call home when it comes to work. I am a team player and need to work with others that are part of the same team as well. I have a lot to give and love to train others to be the best officer that they can be also. Despite all the the negative news concerning Law Enforcement I believe that there are more good officers than bad ones and will continue to serve my community.
The New Year in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has started of very busy. I am currently the Flotilla Staff Officer for Public Affairs and the Division Staff Officer for Human Resources. Both positions take several hours a week of work but are fun and rewarding. The year started off with back to back Public Affairs events here in Greenville. The first one was the Upstate South Carolina Boat Show in January followed by the Bassmaster Classic Expo 2015 in February.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
2015
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| English: United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Districts and Regions (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I continue to look at what it is that makes me happy and what comes up is service to my country and community. I still work as a Police Officer here at Furman University and also serve in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Both jobs are rewarding and I get to work with like minded people. I have been blessed to be able to be active in my life and will continue to do so until I can no longer serve.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday, February 24, 2013
It's been a while.
Yes, I am still here. I had not realized that I have not done anything on my blog since December 2012. I am not really sure why not except to say I have been lazy in my blogging. I made it through the holidays by working as much as I could. It was really hard since it was the first Christmas without my mother. I really did not celebrate Christmas other then dropping off some gifts for my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. The new year has started off in a positive way and I am looking forward to Spring. I got a new Nikon DSLR and hope to get out and about and start getting back into photography.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas!
It's Christmas Eve here and only a few more hours until Christmas day is upon us. This is a lonely Christmas for me as it will be the first Christmas without my mother being here. I miss her very much but do know that she is in a much better place and looking down on me. I chose to work the holidays this year, I figured keeping busy would help me through the holidays and it seems to be helping. I am going to spend Christmas with my kitties before I head off to work. I hope everyone out there has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
The move is almost complete
I have finally gotten around to moving to my new place. It's been a rough few months trying to get moved and finalize all the things with my mothers things not that she is gone. I started my new job with the Furman Police Department back in August. I found a placec less than a mile from campus which is what I wanted. I am close to the foothills and there are a lot of great things to do outdoors up here. I'm not a fan of moving but now that I am almost done it is looking up. Now I can get settled in to my own place, just me and my four cats.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Sometimes moving forward means going back!
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| English: Furman University Library (James B. Duke Library) and fountains (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Furman University (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Sunday, July 22, 2012
My Perspective on the Colorado Shooting
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| AURORA, CO - JULY 20: The Century 16 movie theatre is seen where a gunmen attacked movie goers during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises' July 20, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado. According to reports, over 10 people have been killed and over 30 injured. Police have the suspect, twenty-four year old James Holmes of North Aurora, in custody. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife) |
I have been hearing so much about all the "what ifs" out there. What if the Aurora Police would have had security at the theater for the opening of The Dark Knight Rises? What if concealed weapons would have been allowed in the theater? What if we had better gun control? What if? What if? What if?
What if we first pay attention to the victims of this mass shooting, those that died and those that survived. Making sure that they are comforted, and cared for. This is the main task at hand. The suspect was captured and he will be dealt with.
Now for all the other what if questions. Would the normal two off-duty officers that work the theater on the weekends have stopped this? Probably not. The Dark Knight Rises was playing in multiple theaters and there is no way they could have officers in every theater. The suspect had a plan, more than likely he had cased the theater in advance. Having worked off-duty security in a multiplex theater I can tell you that it is a security nightmare if something like this shooting would happen. First, the suspect had the element of surprise, sad to say, he had the upper hand from the very beginning. If an officer, or two, had been in the theater when this happened they would have been in no better situation then those there to watch the movie. Someone told me that they would have guns and could have shot back. Really? Once the tear gas and shots rang out PANIC also began. As a police officer, I can tell you that just because I have a gun does not mean I am super man. Hundreds of people began to run, jump, drop to the floor. Even the best trained officer would find this situation a nightmare to find out who is doing the shooting and then to even try to take a shot without hitting one of the hundreds of people running.
The other what if I have been asked and seen posted throughout the Internet is one concerning a law abiding citizen carrying concealed in the theater. Maybe, maybe not. Right place, right time. Again you still have mass panic, disorientation, darkness, lack of formal training and the big one in my mind how do you shoot at a single person without hitting the hundreds that are trying to flee. My biggest issue with this is what would keep the fleeing people from thinking you were just another gunman in the dark trying to do the same thing the suspect was doing, kill people.
I listened to one of the victims that was shot and survived talk on the news last night and she said something that really hit home with me. She was a veteran and been to Iraq. She said that in Iraq you always expected something could happen but in that theater no one expected anything to happen. No one could have been prepared for what occurred. That is key here. If we are to start to expect things like this will occur then we as a society would have to change our whole way of life when we go out.
As always, after a tragedy such as this, the politicians, and others, come out and start yelling Gun Control. I am a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment but I also do not believe that it gives us the right to arm ourselves to the point of having more firepower then most small countries. There has to be a middle ground in the type of weapons that can be obtained. This suspect had obtained all of his weapons legally as well as all of his ammunition. As for the body armor, why does anyone that is not police or military need body armor? I know there are those out there that feel that is something they should have a right to own as well.
So what is the right answer to stopping this from happening again? I am not really sure other then to say we must keep living and believing in who we are and that things like this are mostly random acts of violence by people with issues. Does that mean we should not protect ourselves? Of course not, but we live in a society that has done very well at protecting it's people. We have a strong legal system, although not perfect. We have a strong government, although not perfect. We have the worlds best law enforcement and military, although not perfect. We have more rights then most other countries in this world. I have lived or visited over 30 countries in my life and I can say without a doubt we may not be a perfect nation of people but this is the best country in the world to live free and in peace.
The Aurora Police Department and all of the other First Responders did exactly what they were trained to do. Their fast response most likely saved lives and they should all be thanked for what they do every day. I am proud to be a Law Enforcement Officer.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Theater Nine
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| Seal of the City of Aurora, Colorado (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Passing of my Mother
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Storm Season is Upon Us
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| Image via Wikipedia |
Sunday, January 8, 2012
PFC Justin Whitmire
Yesterday, January 6, 2012, I had the honor of leading the funeral procession for PFC Justin Whitmire, a U.S. Army Medic that was killed in Afghanistan on December 27, 2011. This young man was only 20 years old and had only been in country for 17 days when his life came to an end by an IED. I did not know PFC Whitmire but in the days before his funeral I learned a lot about him and was touched by his courage and need to serve is country. I was asked by our Chief of Police to lead the funeral procession which I accepted as a great honor.
The outpouring from the community was overwhelming. There were threats by the Westboro Baptist Church that they would attend the funeral in protest. The community responded with hundreds showing up in support of PFC Whitmire and his family. There were flags flying and people lining the procession route shoulder to shoulder. As I led the procession in my patrol car I could not hold back my tears as I saw the support and love of this community with there signs and flags waving. Although it was such a sad day I could not help but be touched by the community and the way they came out for this young hero.
The outpouring from the community was overwhelming. There were threats by the Westboro Baptist Church that they would attend the funeral in protest. The community responded with hundreds showing up in support of PFC Whitmire and his family. There were flags flying and people lining the procession route shoulder to shoulder. As I led the procession in my patrol car I could not hold back my tears as I saw the support and love of this community with there signs and flags waving. Although it was such a sad day I could not help but be touched by the community and the way they came out for this young hero.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The end is near, 2011 that is!
The year 2011 is about over and I have been thinking about the year in hindsight as 2012 approaches. I can't say that 2011 was a terrible year for me but it sure could have been better and in saying that I realized that 2011 was better than 2010. I still had my share of late year medical issues to include a battle with shingles on the left side of my face and a bout with a kidney stone, both of which required me to take time off of work. Work went pretty well for me this past year although I jumped from day shift to night shift and then back to day shift again over a 8 month period.
Overall I really have a lot to be thankful for and very little to regret. I guess the best thing is to keep a positive attitude about everything that goes on in my life. The new year will only be as good as I make it. I am not big on making New Years resolutions as I prefer to just say I will do all I can to make it a better year for me and those around me.
Overall I really have a lot to be thankful for and very little to regret. I guess the best thing is to keep a positive attitude about everything that goes on in my life. The new year will only be as good as I make it. I am not big on making New Years resolutions as I prefer to just say I will do all I can to make it a better year for me and those around me.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Good Boy Roy - A teens dream comes true.
Currently Zack has 18 different designs and 8 unique characters, but there are a lot more characters and scenes waiting to be put on t-shirts in the future, but for now Good Boy Roy is focused on generating more sales for their existing designs and building the brand. In terms of what Zack has planned for the Good Boy Roy brand, he wants to make this his full time job after he graduates high school. However Zack has a much bigger vision for Good Boy Roy, as he wants it to be “on everything and everywhere,” and even become a cartoon someday where he can do the voice. Zack lives here in Simpsonville and can be found on the web at http://GoodBoyRoy.com.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Is October over yet?
Image by cobalt123 via FlickrOctober does not seem to be the best month for me. Last year I was out almost the entire month of October because of slin cancer surgery and recovery and now this year October was an almost complete write off for work because of a case of Shingles. Now I had heard of Shingles but had no idea how you get them or the intense pain it can cause, especially when you break out with them on your face. I ended up in the ER twice over a 4 day period because of the pain it caused. Once the pain finally got under control it was just a matter of letting the Shingles heal. Hopefully I will get back to work by the end of this week.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hurricane Irene
Image via WikipediaIt seems that the folks here in the Upstate of South Carolina have missed the brunt of Hurricane Irene. The days preceding her arrival there was a chance that it could hit as far south as Charleston but as she approached that changed and it was moved farther north. Hurricanes always seem to become some sort of cult phenomenon despite the destruction they can cause. New Yorkers are by far the most interesting when told they could be in the path of Irene. They throw parties, make t-shirts and generally make jokes. While down here in the south people seem to take them way more seriously. I just hope that no matter where Irene hits that people are smart and safe and there is no injuries and minimal damage to property. 
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
East Coast Earthquake
Image via WikipediaAn earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 struck in northern Virginia, the U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday.The quake was felt in Washington, D.C., and as far away as North Carolina and New York, witnesses said. While all U.S. Capitol buildings were evacuated, there were no reports of injuries or damage.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Get Motivated
Ticket Holders Turned Away (as reported by WYFF 4)
By 10:30 a.m., some ticket-holding attendees said they were being turned away at the door. Greenville Fire Chief Tom McDowell said that the BI-Lo Center was at capacity, so people were only being let in as others came out.Get Motivated media spokesman Johnny Caloria contradicted McDowell said that the event is general seating, and some people were standing in stairwells and not taking seats, so that was why people were being turned away.
News 4’s Kim Quintero said she came across a group of people downtown who bought tickets to the event, waited two hours to get in, but were turned away at the door because the center had reached maximum capacity. They said they were not offered refunds, just workbooks and told to wait outside.Lynn Scott told News 4 that she closed her business to be able to attend the event, but she was one of many who were stopped outside.When she found out she missed Guiliani and Forbes speaking, Scott said, “Oh, my gosh! I really wanted to hear what they had to say. Why would you oversell your situation? That’s wrong.”
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