Only in Savannah…
Sunday, August 15th, 2010 / Savannah, Videos / Author: Shawn / Comments: (1)
Seems this was the big game promotion last night for the Savannah Sand Gnats.
My father said it was such a Savannahian thing.
Savannah…It Does A Body Good…For The Most Part
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 / Baseball, Family, Flickr Photos, Life, Politics, Savannah, Travel / Author: Shawn / Comments Off
For my holiday weekend, I went home to Savannah. I didn’t see any of my friends. I feel bad, but for me, this past weekend was a Me Vacation. I just needed solitary time down there.
Saturday, my father and I went down to the Smallest Church in America and toured the perimeter ruins of Harris Neck Army Airfield. The weather in the region was cooler than normal for this time of year, but even with temps of 86°F, it was took hot to tour the place on foot. Until this weekend, neither my father, nor I, even knew about Harris Neck AAF. As we were driving around the wildlife refuge in its place, we noticed a vast part of deteriorating asphalt. I joked it was an abandoned airfield, before we read the marker about it.
See, you learn something new everyday.
Prior to going home for the rest of the day, I stopped and got a picture of The Wienermobile. It was in Savannah over the weekend.
I spent the evening of the 4th at the Savannah Sand Gnats game. The team won against the Rome Braves, 1-0. It was a short game, so we had to wait a bit for post-game fireworks. The game was a blast, and weather was perfect. That was the only time I was wish I had been hanging out with a friend, but it’s not the end of the world.
The only problem I had at home was finding out about a charge the city added to the water bill down there. To me, it’s a stupid charge and the city is just trying to charge you for any and everything they can get away with. I can’t call the city a Fascist town because there is too much liberalism in the government. However, I can’t call it a Socialist city, either. I think the government is composed of people that take the horrid extremes of both sides of the spectrum and apply them to how the city operates. Maybe if the people of the city kept their noses in their own business and not dictated how everyone should live, the town would be better off than it is. If I ever did move back to the Savannah area, it would definitely not be in the Savannah City limits.
I came home yesterday. I took my time and just stopped and took photos of other parts of Georgia. I would have returned to work today, but Nicki and I had car issues today. I had to stay home to take care of that. What fun that was. 
My father and I are working on getting the vehicles repaired, but I am going to have to bit a bullet soon and get a new car. I don’t even know where to begin.
Listening to: Chicago -”If She Would Have Been Faithful”
Bryce Tarter Update
Friday, April 30th, 2010 / Savannah / Author: Shawn / Comments Off
I have been swamped with work all this week. I worked about 7 hours of overtime.
So I know I am late with the news, but I must report with sadness that the missing Armstrong Atlantic State University student, 19-year-old Bryce Tarter was found this week. He was found in his truck, submerged in water.
I don’t how it happened. but I can see how it happened. They found him at Bell’s Landing, in Savannah, at the end of Apache Ave. The dorms are off of Roger Warrick Dr. If you head to the dorms via Apache, if you don’t take a turn to the left where Apache and Roger Warrick meet, you will stay on Apache. It dead ends into the marshes of Hoover Creek. The only time I had ever been to Bell’s Landing was when Joey took his mother and stepfather out there after she wanted to see how it changed. We had gone together for dinner just beforehand. It kind of gave me the creeps. This was 2 years ago. I doubt much has changed since then.
Spring in the air
Monday, March 15th, 2010 / Flickr Photos, Life, Savannah / Author: Shawn / Comments Off
I went home to Savannah this past weekend. Usually at this time of year, Savannah is full of color between St. Patrick’s Day green and the different colors of azaleas. I needed a taste of spring. Due to the cold winter this year, the azaleas still haven’t bloomed. That was disappointing, but it didn’t ruin my weekend.
I spent time with family and friends. My sisters and I spent all day touring Laurel Grove Cemetery, Effingham County, and Old Fort Jackson. Saturday night was spent having dinner with Lindsey and Chris. Sunday, I had lunch with Melinda out on Tybee Island, as well as had a short visit with a family friend that lives on Tybee that has known me since I was 5.
It was also nice to be home and get to hug and love on Gizmo. I was missing him, and the other cats. Cozy even let me love and hold him Saturday night. Another wonderful thing about being home was having the windows open and letting in the spring air. Around this time of year, it practically is spring in Savannah.
I wish I could make enough money to own a home in Atlanta AND Savannah.
Gotta Love Budget Cuts!
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 / Politics, Savannah / Author: Shawn / Comments Off
At times, I don’t truly understand the government. They will spent $60 million to clear a 1,500 acre tract of land before a company agrees to moving into a town, but will not spend $3.8 million to keep 5 programs at Armstrong Atlantic in 2011.
I’m talking about the Georgia state government.
Back in 2002/2003, there was talk that DaimlerChrysler wanted to build a plant in the Savannah area. So, what did my state government do? They decided to spend nearly $60 million in infrastructure at a tract of land at the corner of I-16 and I-95 to lure DaimlerChrysler to the site. Now, I know, that would make a huge impact on Savannah? How huge? Well, the state and local governments expected $750 million in investment!
Just one problem with that little plan. The government pushed too hard and demanded a deadline from DaimlerChrysler. They cleared the land before DaimlerChrysler committed to moving to Savannah. Finally, after all was said and done, DaimlerChrysler decided not to build a plant in Savannah.
You know when the land was finally decided upon to be used for a plant? September 2009. Mitsubishi Power Systems will invest $325 million into the site for a new plant.
Now, think of the $60 million spent on the site. $60 million spent to allow a tract of land to lay fallow for about 7 years. Why? Why couldn’t that $60 million be used on something more important at the time? Why not wait until DaimlerChrysler had committed to using the land? I liken how the government wooed DaimlerChrysler to this: spending money on a wedding, setting a date for the wedding, all while the prospective bride is still deciding to date you. When the prospective bride decides she doesn’t want to date you anymore and will not commit to your chosen wedding date, you’re left with a useless wedding that no one will use in your place. Sure, the money was going to be spent on developing the land, but why not wait until you have an agreement in place?
Would any reasonable person do the same in their life as what the government did in the DaimlerChrysler case? No. What’s wrong with expecting our government to do the same?
So, yeah, now that I have the DaimlerChrysler case explained, I use it as reference in bone headed moves by the government. A case study in not spending wisely.
At the moment, the state government is proposing budget cuts in University of Georgia system for fiscal year 2011. I decided to look at the ones affecting my alma mater, Armstrong Atlantic State University. I am proud to be an aluma of Armstrong. The school, for the most part, did me well. Part of the proposed cuts is the elimination of 5 academic programs/departments. The expect savings on this measure is $3.8 million. Surely, I know the Department of Information, Computing, and Engineering will be affected.
To be honest with you, the School of Computing, as it was known in my time at Armstrong, wasn’t the most state of the art. However, the professors did the best they could with what they had. The semester after I graduated, the school decided not to keep its one of its professors in the IT department. That infuriated many of the students in the IT program. The professor was one of the most liked in the program, taught relevant information, and get this, was a graduate of Armstrong’s own Masters Program with a degree in Computer Science. This professor not only understood the technology, but the both sides of the school – the students’ and the faculty. In my eyes, and in the eyes of many of my classmates, this was a plus. However, the school decided they could not keep him financially. After the student outrage, I heard the school offered him his job again, but he decided to leave Armstrong for another college. Armstrong’s loss. Actually, I don’t think Armstrong loss out, but the students of the IT program did. At the moment, the IT department only has 4 professors.
If that happened to one of my professors, surely the IT program at Armstrong is a target for cuts. When I graduated, only 9 of us graduated from the program. The program keeps getting bigger in terms of enrollment, but the technology just wasn’t there. And to be honest, I feel like I didn’t learn half the skills I needed for an IT major. I couldn’t do anything with networking. Figuring out subnetting? HA! I lucked out and understood databases and got a job related to databases.
So here how I link to $60 million DaimlerChrysler case to the $3.8 million in budget cuts to Armstrong. Let’s do some math. $3.8 million/$60 million is about 15.79. Barring inflation, that $60 million used to create a fallow tract of land could fund the Armstrong cuts for about 15 years!
In my view, our government doesn’t know how to spend money. They act like a little Veruca Salts – they want it now and don’t know how to weight the present to the short term future AND the long term future.
Bring Bryce Home
Saturday, February 6th, 2010 / Savannah / Author: Shawn / Comments: (1)
I’ll have a proper post, tomorrow, but just a quick note. There is a missing student from my college, Armstrong Atlantic State University: 19-year-old Bryce Tarter. Friends and family have a created a website: Bring Bryce Home.com.
My site has gotten a boom in hits from people wanting to know more about him since I posted a tweet about it.
I hope they find this fellow Pirate and God Bless his family.
Christmas in Savannah
Thursday, December 24th, 2009 / Family, Flickr Photos, Life, Savannah / Author: Shawn / Comments Off
Once my father and I got into Savannah and it became dark, Beth, Christina, and I went out to look at Christmas lights. First, we went out to the Roddenberry home in Windsor Forest. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without seeing the display. I didn’t get to see it last year.
After that trip, Christina took us one of her favorite displays: the Haldeman Christmas Display. For 16 years, this family has has a lot of lights up on their property. They give out hot cocoa and coffee. The only things they ask for in return is that you place your name in the guestbook and leave a donation for the Salvation Army. This display is a nice little fundraiser for the Salvation Army. In 11 years, the latest the tally the couple had on display at their home, the display has collected $45,000.00.
More photos from the night are in my Christmas in Savannah photo set. The set is full of various Christmas shots taken in Savannah.
Before getting back into Savannah, my dad and I stopped to find the geographical center of Georgia. When we got to the place the historical marker is located, it was missing! So, I have a picture of the pole it used to sit on.
Now to have fun and enjoy the holiday with my family.