The Top Stories of TPC in 2019: 10 through 6

Welcome back, Dear Readers! It's the end of the year so it's time to recount the most read stories in 2019 here at The Chronicles. You can read 15 through 11 here.

And away we go...

10. 1st Report on Steve Horton's Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report 

26 November 2019

Even before the election had reached its conclusion, I'd made the decision that I was going to really delve into Horton's campaign contributions. The big thing was, I just wanted to see how much he paid for that billboard (so did many others, including those who supported & voted for Horton). And, naturally, how much he raised overall.

Well, it would end up being record breaking.

First off, the Horton campaign raised a lot of money: $20,570.00 

I'm fairly certain that's the most money - by far - ever spent on a Covington municipal race. Let's delve in.

As previously mentioned, I was very interested in that big billboard. Based on the disclosure reports, Aj Liquidators made an in-kind contribution of $2500 to the Horton campaign for the billboard expense. The Horton campaign also had an expenditure in the amount of $440.34 to Aj Liquidators for "campaign billboard fees & rental" (Inv# 620).

As I - & several others - noticed, it looked like the Horton campaign & Aj Liquidators were kind of playing with fire on this thing. $2500 as an in-kind, just below the limit, but then they do another $440.34 as an "expense." I almost think they tried to get a little too cute with that one. Though, not surprisingly, there's a lot of vagueness & wiggle room in our campaign finance laws, so...

Politics, an interesting endeavor; definitely not for the faint of heart

The big takeaway, in my opinion, is how several supporters of Horton's that I've spoken to are VERY concerned with the amount of money raised for this race & especially with the list of his high-level donors. I believe things have become pretty clear to several. Things are not always as they seem. Be careful what you wish for.

This is a story that, moving forward, will very much be DEVELOPING...

*****

9. Guest Columnist Andy Allen: The REAL Story on Vaping & E-Cigs

11 September 2019

Friend of the program & fellow Freedom advocate Andy Allen wrote a very good piece in anticipation of the changes - compliments of the Trump administration (Bad Trump < Good Trump) - with vaping & e-cigs. And now, just a few days ago, we see Congress & the POTUS go full-on Nanny State Big GOV with raising the federal age to purchase tobacco to 21.

E-Cigarette Reviewed

Thank you Main Stream Media, The CDC, The American Medical Association, for absolutely scaring the crap out of everyone, and being so irresponsible in not reporting what is actually making these people who are sick from “vaping related” illnesses. Please people...I beg you...do your own research on things that you don’t understand. People are getting sick because, people are vaping a vape cartomizer already pre-filled with a THC substance with a Vitamin E acetate oil base. The problem isn’t mainly the THC part....it’s the base.

...


Now....this IS NOT what the media, nor healthcare officials are reporting! It’s dishonest, and disappointing. I, along with many other people here in just The City of Covington, Georgia alone, have been vaping for years now with no pulmonary issues whatsoever. In fact, any pulmonary issues I had from smoking combustible cigarettes for 30 years, are now gone since I started to vape. Please...Look at this information and think for yourselves.

###

*ed.note: when I researched the page views at TPC when prepping this story, the following two write-ups literally had the same number of hits; later, I checked them again - they'd both slightly increased their views - and they were still tied...seemed like a sign that I needed to include both of them. --MBM

8)a. TPC Real Politick Check-in by MB: The Continuing Tone-Deafness of the Horton Campaign 

3 November 2019

Another one on Steve Horton:

Snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory has seemingly & apparently been the M.O. for basically the entire campaign season of Team Horton. If there was a single race in this municipal election cycle that should've seemed like a lock, the smart money was on this one; however, these recent events, along with some other key gaffes - previously having politicized the DB/Bard situation & then later trying to call out Johnston & McKelvey for not attending the meeting put on by the attorneys looking for potential clients (only to realize the error & then deleting  its original post) - has to make one wonder about the judgement of this campaign.

And, to that point, when I first heard that Ronnie Cowan, Newton Co. BOC 5 Rep & honorary Democrat on the Newton Co. Board of Commissioners, was actually incorporated into Horton's campaign literature, I simply couldn't believe it. "He's not that tone deaf," I said to a particular person, "send me photos," I said.

So, they did...

Exhibit A: 

Cowan's all like: "For The Win, Steve!"

Well, I kind of missed the mark on that one, didn't I? But I really wonder if a sack of potatoes could've hit 50% plus 1 on this one, what with the electoral dynamics we witnessed in the home city & the horrid case of JDS (Johnston Derangement Syndrome) that afflicted so many.

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8)b. City of Covington, GA Official Has Jumped the Shark

26 July 2019

This satirical page that was met with much fanfare in the beginning - including from yours truly - later seemed to take a turn for the worse...

Local Wedding Announcement

But here lately, it's all grown...a bit stale, tired. 

Is a glorified troll - and a lazy one at that - all that this burst of the light fantastic has turned out to be? Well,  that's kind of sad; sort of a waste, no? 

Oh well...

It's funny, though, right up until the very end, over half of Covington seemed to think I was the one behind it, but then once things started to accelerate & it got removed, many of these same people were pissed at me thinking I was the reason why it got taken down from Facebook. That's my life these days in a nutshell, friends.Oh well.

They see me. They be hatin'...

*****

7. TPC Profiles: Ken Malcolm, Candidate for Newton Co. Sheriff

27 March 2019

Mr. Malcolm & his enthusiastic team have done a tremendous job so far with his campaign. There's a palpable sense of excitement & passion for this race that will be upon us in just a few months (primary elections are in May).

"Outstanding," was the response given to me by Ken Malcom, Criminal Investigative Division Captain of the CPD (Covington Police Department), Criminal Justice Professor & declared candidate for Newton Co. Sheriff, when asked how the campaign was going. He went on to say how "humbled by the outpouring of support" he'd seen & how it was a "testament to this movement" we've created.

We. Ken said that almost exclusively during our interview. I literally think I only counted him using the word "I" maybe just twice. That's something I mentally count when I'm talking to folks a lot of the time. Ken is truly a "we" guy, and that's actually a rarity, especially in the political arena. When he was named D.A.R.E. National Officer of the Year in 2003, it was, according to Ken, because "we had such a great team...and it was the city & county" working together. Or, the great successes that have occurred with our local, top-notch municipal law enforcement agency, the CPD, it's because "we have such a great team."

He's a team guy. I like that...

Despite revealing demographic shifts in the home county over the last several years (and the stats & votes simply don't lie - all one needs to do is look at the last 3 POTUS vote totals), many politicos - this writer included - truly believes that Ken has a very good shot at winning this thing.

###

6. What's the Problem on the Covington Square?

9 January 2019

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

In the last three months, four businesses on the Square have closed. Word on the street is that there are no less than five businesses either actively or quietly for sale. While both the cities of Monroe & Conyers, on either side of the home city, seem to be thriving with their downtown business districts, Covington seems to be fading. As one local resident put it, to paraphrase, it seems like things are slipping away...

And please also know that I'm not here to play the "Doom & Gloom" game, either; or, as it were, that the sky is falling. But for me, I go back to the fall of 2016, when it seemed like we were on fire & the sky was the limit. And to see where we are now, compared to then. Well, frankly, my friends, it's kind of disheartening to me.

What possible problematic issue has gotten the most volume these last couple of years? Obviously, that would be when the Square has been closed for filming or for special events. And no doubt, the Witches Night Out dust-up was actually one of the most read stories at TPC last year; however, I can't help but to think that that's an easy target. While certainly the city kind of got carried away last year with filming & closing the Square for special events, a point, off the record, that was ceded by a person with the city, those are just the flash bangs that always bring extra attention. As several have mentioned, the biggest problems facing the Square are more the systemic, everyday problems.

And it's interesting how so many of these top stories this year are interconnected. This summer & fall we had two TV shows filming in Covington at the same time. I received many reports of people completely exasperated with the entire process - Square merchants, downtown homeowners, as well as travelers & people that worked nearby. That, along with many other factors, had an influence on how the city elections turned out. And I'll be the first to admit that this is a REAL problem, one that didn't get properly addressed by the previous council; however, the last thing we need is for the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction. We are The Hollywood of the South, after all, and we need to be mindful of that. We just need some good common sense. So, hold your breath...


-------

Alright, so now we're down to the Top 5! Look for that tomorrow along with the top contributing stories of the year & some honorable mentions. Thanks for reading.




- MBM

Andy Allen: The REAL Story on Vaping & E-Cigs

*Ed note: with the current news reports that the Trump administration is purportedly about to announce a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, TPC would like to post this piece from one of our guest writers - Mr. Andy Allen from Covington, GA.

Thank you Main Stream Media, The CDC, The American Medical Association, for absolutely scaring the crap out of everyone, and being so irresponsible in not reporting what is actually making these people who are sick from “vaping related” illnesses. Please people...I beg you...do your own research on things that you don’t understand. People are getting sick because, people are vaping a vape cartomizer already pre-filled with a THC substance with a Vitamin E acetate oil base. The problem isn’t mainly the THC part....it’s the base.

ECigaretteReviewed

I will try to explain what is in regular e-liquid that is sold in literally thousands of vape shops around the country. PG = Propylene Glycol. Propylene Glycol is a synthetic food additive that belongs to the same chemical group as alcohol. It is a colorless, odorless, slightly syrupy liquid that is a bit thicker than water. It has practically no taste (1Trusted Source). Additionally, it can dissolve some substances better than water and is also good at retaining moisture. This makes it very useful as a food additive, so it can be found in a wide variety of processed foods and drinks (2). Other names it is known by include (2): 1,2-propanediol 1,2-dihydroxypropane Methyl ethyl glycol Trimethyl glycol Propylene glycol is sometimes confused with ethylene glycol, as both have been used in antifreeze due to their low melting points. However, these are not the same substance. Ethylene glycol is highly toxic to humans and is not used in food products. VG = Vegetable Glycerin What is Vegetable Glycerin is a sugar alcohol derived from animal products, plants or petroleum. Vegetable glycerin is the variant made from plant oils. It is said to have been accidentally discovered more than two centuries ago by heating a mixture of olive oil and lead monoxide. But it only became economically and industrially significant in the late 1800s when it was first used to make dynamite. Vegetable glycerin is made by heating triglyceride-rich vegetable fats — such as palm, soy and coconut oils — under pressure or together with a strong alkali, such as lye. This causes the glycerin to split away from the fatty acids and mix together with water, forming an odorless, sweet-tasting, syrup-like liquid. Common Uses - Vegetable glycerin is widely used in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. For instance, it is often added to foods to help oil and water-based ingredients mix, sweetening or moistening the final product. It can be also used to prevent ice crystals from forming in frozen foods, such as low-fat frozen yogurt, ice cream and other desserts. Glycerin is a common ingredient in pharmaceutical drugs, including heart medication, suppositories, cough remedies and anesthetics. Additionally, you can find vegetable glycerin in toothpaste, as it helps prevent the toothpaste from drying out or hardening in the tube. What’s more, it’s commonly added to soaps, candles, lotions, deodorants and makeup. Vegetable glycerin is generally considered safe. That said, you may experience an allergic reaction if vegetable glycerin is applied directly to your skin — so it’s best to start with a small amount to see how your skin reacts. When ingested, vegetable glycerin may cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and excessive thirst in some people (13). Since glycerin is a form of sugar alcohol that your body cannot fully absorb, consuming too much — either alone or through foods — may also lead to gas and diarrhea. E-liquid Flavorings = They sell e-liquid flavorings even at Walmart. It’s just like food flavorings. Nicotine = that should be self explanatory. Most base e-liquid has a nicotine strength of 0mg, 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, 18mg, and 24mg. A cigarette contains 18mg. Now that you know what’s in regular e-liquid..... What is making people so sick is this Vitamin E acetate oil base in these particular vape cartomizers, which coats the lungs, and can cause very severe pneumonia. These cartomizers are being sold by black market distributors (emphasis added), and at present, there’s no way to trace back to the source of these particular items. Now....this IS NOT what the media, nor healthcare officials are reporting! It’s dishonest, and disappointing. I, along with many other people here in just The City of Covington, Georgia alone, have been vaping for years now with no pulmonary issues whatsoever. In fact, any pulmonary issues I had from smoking combustible cigarettes for 30 years, are now gone since I started to vape. Please...Look at this information and think for yourselves.

[TPC Guest Contributor Andy Allen] - Another Perspective on "Russia Collusion"

There is what I believe to be the real “Russia Collusion” story and also, a real problem with how people digest what they believe is factual news reporting.

The Russian Government has been trying to meddle in our elections for the last 70 years. Our own United States Government has also meddled in other countries elections in the past as well. It’s yet another problem that happens in the bad chess game of foreign policy.

I believe The Russian Government was able to influence our 2016 Presidential Election easily, by something that people view everyday or almost everyday.....social media.

When most people look at social media, some are just trying to see what’s going on with friends or family, posting pictures of your kids, pets, events for friends and family to see. But, also...there are people who talk with other people through social media about a whole host of different topics and subjects. Many of those topics and subjects have some connection with the political world.

When people view these different social media posts and pages about politics, more than likely, they view posts and pages that they believe agree with their political point of view. Many will post or share, tweet or re-tweet, other posts, pages, or sites that they believe are reliable news sources. “Reliable news sources” is something I believe that winds up being subjective for most people.

Most of us don’t dive deep into a headline. Instead....the headline becomes the story or proof of something that many people already suspect is true. Most people just don’t either have the time, or take the time, to really dive deep into topics which really take much more research on those particular topics or subject matter, because the topic or subject matter ( and it’s problems or possible solutions ) requires a much deeper study.

For a simple example....how many average citizens understand the parliamentary procedures and rules of local, state, or national political party meetings, or sessions at the state or national level in the House or Senate. Heck...people have a hard enough time trying to figure out these things at a local political party level, much less state or national. How many average people have a copy of Roberts Rules of Order? Uh...trust me...not many.

It’s pretty easy to create some fake accounts on social media, throw out headlines of misinformation, and people who already have their own personal biases, see these headlines that agree with their own political bent during a Presidential Election cycle, ( which always has a high element of emotion that comes with it, because let’s face it...all media and political parties on the right and on the left use one universal tactic to motivate it’s grassroots base to get to the polls...That tactic is the politics of fear. ) and believe the headlines or short articles linked to them are facts, and re-post or re-tweet such headlines and articles hundreds, thousands, and then millions of times.

As you see from my last paragraph above, it would be pretty easy to influence a national election using the already built in easy propaganda highway, that goes mostly around the globe....the internet and it’s social media websites, to influence people’s decisions on who they might vote for, or who can at least win an election on their particular side of the political aisle.

Folks.....when we stop reading books...( deeply challenging books ) that challenge us intellectually or even challenge our own deeply held beliefs, we are going to become more and more susceptible to misinformation on a whole host of different things, and on multiple levels. Deep study of anything, even a person’s deeply held religious beliefs, is an ignorance that is plaguing our society.

If we don’t want to continue to worry that some other country or some other entity is going to influence our national elections, then we need to get back to the fine art of reading in long form. Much of our political climate in this day in age, we have created ourselves by exchanging really studying for long periods of time on a topic or subject in books, for tweets, headlines, and short articles with little substance, because the writers know most people nowadays will not read anything beyond a few paragraphs.

( Side note.... I personally know some writers who work for media outlets, who are fantastic, and a few of them will still write long pieces that are very informative. So not all writers are writing non-substantive articles. I believe that many writers write their articles believing that people will hopefully dive deeper into a subject or topic themselves. Unfortunately....in reality...that’s not the case.)

If you haven’t picked up a book lately that challenges you intellectually, and also challenges your own deeply held personal beliefs....you would be better served in doing so. Some great plus sides in doing this, is not only will your knowledge increase, but so will your augments, and in some instances, your personal beliefs on something may change due to finding out new information that you never knew before.

I’m ignorant on so many things, but I believe if you continue to learn the virtue of humility, you can continue to learn.

*Andy Allen is a proud Covingtonian, Lover of Liberty & Christian Disciple. 

The 2019 State of The Piedmont Chronicles (SOTPC) Address by Its Editor, MB McCart

By: MB McCart, Editor

[State of GA]
[Newton Co.]

(North Covington | 12/31/19) -

To our Friends, fellow GA Piedmonteers, TPCers, various members of the Citizenry; unorganized, and organized, members of the GA Militia Districts & Civil Defense Force; to all Newtonians, Covingtonians, Porterdalians, Mansfieldians & Newbornites (and what the hell - Oxford, too); to the good folks of Rocky Plains & to the residents of Gum Creek; to the Stewart Community, Brick Store, Hazelbrand, Leakton, Snapping Shoals, Red Oak, Texas Alley & all points in between, it is with great honor & humble pride that I report the following...

The State of the Piedmont Chronicles is Strong, My Friends, Very Strong Indeed!

And with all of us working together, we can achieve our truest hearts' desires & see all of our hopes & dreams come true, one kick-ass, dopealicious, gangsta-lean write-up at a time. We do this for our continued general welfare, and for that of our Prosperity & Liberty.

Our relationship is one of mutual benefit, symbiotic in its shared purpose, results & desiring.

My friends, I truly believe our best days are yet ahead, and that 2020 will be the greatest one yet.

Thank you, to each & every one of you, thank you!

|||||||

My friends, again, the state of The Chronicles is strong.

2019 has continued the tradition of the last four years, that of a continuous raising of the bar.

A few particulars:

- the most posts in a year in our history

- the most page views & impressions in our history

- and, in my opinion, the greatest overall body of work ever in our history

There's simply no two ways about, it is clearly known to many that the only way this came to pass was due to our contributing writer staff:

Kayla Leasure

Perrin Lovett

Ellis Millsaps

And last - but certainly not least - the one & only Bess Tuggle.

Also to our secondary contributors: Melissa Morgan Parker & Alisa J.S. Brown

And, as well, to our guest columnists: Mr. Fred Wheeler, Andy Allen, Ryan Ralston* (see below), Bobby L. Nettles & Corry Oakes.

*****

The Road Ahead

Some exciting news. We have two major announcements.

*As mentioned on the site's FB last night, Mr. Ryan Ralston has joined Team TPC as its primary Correspondent as well as a Contributing Writer.

And Ms. Bess Tuggle is now Chief Staff Writer & naturally remains a Contributing Writer.

Ellis remains Editor Emeritus & Kayla as Assistant Editor.

###

And finally, the key to the whole thing, obviously, is You - the Readership of The Piedmont Chronicles. Nothing happens without you. So, from the bottom of our hearts - Thank You!

As always, ever in Liberty,

- MB McCart

[Perrin Lovett] - The Old College Try: Nation Concentrates on One of Many Higher Ed Scandals ***With Mueller Report Note***

A week or two back, the news broke of a DOJ crackdown on several score celebrities, all accused of bribing and lying their children’s way into elite colleges. The better-heeled Americans allegedly paid big money and told tall tales about Little Suzie; the colleges allegedly lapped it all up.

Some actresses I’d never heard of and some others stand indicted, facing prison time. Some of the children (not indicted) are “influencers,” celebrities because they are celebrities are some such rubbish. People like this undertake such nefarious actions because, A, they can, and B, because they’re kids were not bright enough to qualify otherwise.

Announcing the investigation, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling made an interesting statement: “For every student admitted through fraud, an honest and genuinely talented student was rejected.” My thoughts at the time:

How is this scam any different than that of affirmative discrimination, outside of the massive difference in scale. Genuinely talented students lose out by the thousands or the millions, year to year and generation to generation. Just replace “rich parents” and “sake of their children” with “the state” and “globalization.” Fraud is fraud, even in a conspiracy theory. Nice of someone to notice. May the sentiment and the action spread.

And, for what it’s worth, I’ll bet a dollar to a Yale diploma that most of the elites being charged here generally support the government’s insidious programs as well. The enemy’s consistency again.

The fallout includes at least two civil suits, one by potentially negatively affected students and one by a parent. One suit seeks $500 Million in damages. I’m not sure if that’s about justice or about ju$tice. Time, maybe juries, will tell.

I’ve been thinking further about this scandal and reading the thoughts of others too. The celebrity trash scandal is but one of many afflicting a damaged system. Some of the others include:

Partially Systemic Nepotism

Or, as some folks call it, blatt. This is part of the accusation against Harvard over the ancient school’s admissions policies. The suit was filed by highly qualified (East) Asians, who were given the shaft in order to admit applicants of lower academic quality. The theory goes that certain, special people have wormed their way into the process. They thereby do for their offspring what high-income, low-IQ people do, except the Harvardites don’t have to lie or bribe, already being embedded. Sometimes purchase money is in order, though it’s well masked to avoid scrutiny. The Kushner family comes to mind. Asians are the plaintiffs; whites should take note of the discovery and outcome (if any).

Veritas indeed.

The Athletic Racket

This one is well-known and apparently beloved or forgiven by the masses. The star recruit who can’t read and can’t spell “m-a-t-h” somehow not only gets in but gets in with a full ride. My dad used to occasionally deal with this anomaly at Mississippi State. “Tyrone,” the standout _____ position player, did nothing all semester and failed accordingly. A panicked coach would call our house to cajole or intimidate - something about academic eligibility. Then again, it was really hard to cajole or intimidate a 280-pound Marine with tenure, guns, and an ultra-high IQ.

The feetsball shuffle is (sometimes) part of the overall program of fraud known as ...

Affirmative Discrimination

You know all about it. Someone’s ancestor, like all of our ancestors at some point, had it rough. However, unlike us, the lucky disparate impactors get a pass - check a box and get a 300-point bump as needed.

Sandra Day O’Connor told us, in Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 (2003), that this theft of opportunity, while historically necessary and permissible temporarily, should have a time limit. She’s retired now and I’ll call it … times up for affirmative fraud.

Systemic Fraud

This is the biggie. This is what some of my other education columns have partially addressed. Just like the government K - 12 schools, many (or most) state-run colleges and more than a few private schools, especially the “elites,” are corrupt to the point of no return. Their own numbers and policies betray them.

Dr. Walter Williams (as always!) did his part to expose the mess.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of white high school graduates in 2016 enrolled in college, and 58 percent of black high school graduates enrolled in college. However, that year only 37 percent of white high school graduates tested as college-ready but colleges admitted 70 percent of them. Roughly 17 percent of black high school graduates tested as college-ready but colleges admitted 58 percent of them.

I think I can guess how two other demographic groups fit in. Hispanics do a little better than blacks and Asians do a lot better than whites. Collectively, this is why 40% of new college students require remedial classes. IF they pass those, then they embark on a curriculum journey that has practically reached the limits of dumbing down. The Greeks were all gay. Washington was an oppressor. Men are toxic. -4x² - 7x +12 = whatever you feel like today, Xir. Your $100K student loan is very difficult to discharge in bankruptcy court.

I was reminded of this phenomenon about the same time Williams was drafting his article. My honorable duties recently took me to an all-American high school. On the wall a poster boasted of goals like composite 20 ACT scores, composite 1000 SAT scores and 80%(?) college acceptance. (This is one of the typical schools were senior proficiencies, as-is, hover around 30% while 90% graduate).

***Related Side Note: While still holding onto some hope, I reevaluate my previously optimistic assessment of Gen Z.***

The rub is that a 1000 score on the SAT and a 20 on the ACT does not (did not) qualify one for college (unless barely), both indicating a “normal,” and maybe a borderline higher academic intelligence. Some things aren’t meant to be. Or, they weren’t meant to be.

WHAT TO DO?

Okay, what to do if you’re not wealthy, well-connected, or historically spit-upon? Assuming your child is bright, with an IQ of 115-120+, and not a five-star running back, look at smaller, mostly private schools that emphasize actual teaching and actual learning. Read Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, by by Anthony Esolen.

Amazon/Regnery.

Pay attention to what he says in Chapter Four. He heaped the praise on tiny and truly Catholic Saint Thomas More College in New Hampshire. He’s on the faculty now. Bright young people can be well educated and well rounded. And, there are more of these good schools than you think. Find one. (And, there is nothing wrong with - in fact, most things are right with - trade schools and community colleges). Forget the mainstream frauds and scandals.

EXTRA!!!

***Mulling the Mad Mueller Mortification Matter***

Russia, Russia, Russia!!! Since I first drafted this, two op-eds have come in at TPC in re the same. Many thanks to Andy Allen and Bobby L. Nettles for the excellent commentary. My take? Everyone knew this story was complete bullsh!t from start to finish. Now, it’s official.

No Collusion (by Trump) and No Obstruction.

“The Justice Department said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation did not find evidence that President Donald Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Mueller also investigated whether Trump obstructed justice, but did not come to a definitive answer, Attorney General William Barr said in a letter to Congress summarizing Mueller’s report.”

• AP Wire, 3/24/19

No “definitive answer” means “no charges” for obstruction:

“Evidence gathered in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation ‘is not sufficient to establish’ that President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice.”

• AP, 3/24/19

THE BARR LETTER TO CONGRESS

Read and decide. Now that this matter is behind us, I assume we can start: 1) building the wall; 2) draining the swamp; 3) some treason trials, and 4) finding a jumpsuit for Hillary. I’ll hold my breath.

The final word, from James Woods:

- Perrin Lovett

[tpc] - The Dawn of a New Day in Newton Co.

The Piedmont Chronicles 

~ est. 2010 ~ 

-M.B.McCart, Editor- 

[State of GA]
[Newton Co.]

(21 February '16 * Covington, GA) -

Yesterday, Saturday February 20, was a very important day. Throughout the great state of Georgia, various electoral precincts were reset and delegates were chosen & voted upon for the upcoming county conventions of the respective county parties of the Grand Old Party here in the home state. Those conventions will be held on Sat. March 19th.

Not all counties did this yesterday, however, as smaller and less-populated counties will reset their precincts the morning of convention day.

Here in Newton, it was an especially great day as many hard-working, tenacious & passionate advocates of Freedom and lovers of Liberty saw years of sweat, blood & toil finally pay off after a 4-yr battle with the forces of inertia and establishment, this editor proudly & humbly included. For what we saw in Newton was this - an inclusive, open and welcoming party that saw some 80 delegates who participated in the ultimate electoral process. It was truly a good day.

Much thanks and recognition go out to the many who helped make this possible. The following list certainly does not include everyone and if you're not listed here, please know - that we know - and we'll always be most grateful and are fortunate for your involvement.

~ Mr. Fred Wheeler - the original Captain of the Cause. 

Dating back to February of 2012...I fancied myself and my buddy Frank as his 1st Lieutenants...we were fighting a losing battle, and we knew it, and we loved every second of it...even though we were Ron Paul guys, and he wasn't, we struck a chord and bond, and while I'd known Mr. Fred since 2001, it was then and there that our friendship and level of mutual admiration really grew. He's been involved with party politics since 1968...a great man; there's never been a stronger friend of freedom in Newton Co. I'd like to see him become a national delegate to the RNC in Ohio this Summer.

~ Mr. Chairman Ray Cowan 

For stepping up to the plate and serving again a quarter-century after his 1st stint as Chair of the party. And for being exactly what the Newton Co. GOP needed at this exact time. And to his better half, Ms. Vivian. Both just truly wonderful people.

~ Liz Allen, current 2nd VC 

For never giving up and always keeping us whipped and riled up and ready to fight for the noble, just and good fight. And to her husband Andy.

~ Miss Jessica

Our C4L Lady of Liberty. For her unwavering passion, bravery and toughness of always fanning the flames of Freedom & Liberty despite major health issues over the past several years. And her Andy as well.

~ To Jason Pye 

For being Jason Pye 

~ My main man and brother from another Mother, J. Aaron Brooks. And the rest of my adopted family: Momma Brooks, Uncle Max and Uncle Bubba. 

~ Josh McKelvey

For being the missing piece of the puzzle and whose addition exponentially made of the sum so much greater of the parts.

~ Scott Jay, 1st VC of the NCRP 

For his tireless efforts and intelligence. And his lovely bride.

~ Norris Key, Doug Holt & the rest of the "In-Betweeners" who let their displeasure be known to the former establishment when they temporarily left the party in protest.

~ And last but not least - Ms. Delia Fleming 

For being a worthy opponent. For never ceasing to amaze. For, at times, -- ALLEGEDLY ( commentary/satire/opinion with no ill intent ) ALLEGEDLY -- possibly being prone to "cat" like ways. I love you, Madame Chair! You always remind me of the character, Grandmother, from Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find."

******

It truly was a great day for the home county. I'm glad to have been able to cover it as a Citizen-Journalist and also participate in it as a Qualified Elector.

'Til next time!

Your pal,

M.B. McCart 

[Perrin Lovett] - The Eagle Landed Fifty Years Ago

Everyone has a favorite government program. If a man won’t admit that he does, he’s either lying or he’s dead. For me, it’s the National Park Service. While I question the need for the operation per se, at least their domain is of mountains and forests. The Post Office, bad press aside, always seemed to me to get the job done. And, then there’s the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. At full throttle, the old Space Shuttle (with launch vehicle) was pushing around 700 MILLION horsepower. That’s 2,800 times the juice of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and 1,000,000 times the raw ability of an “overpowered” muscle car. That’s just cool stuff.

The Saturn V Rockets produced similarly staggering dyno readings. Those were the monsters that hurled the Apollo capsules towards the Moon. It was fifty years ago, on July 20, 1969, that Neil Armstrong became the first man in history to set foot on the lunar surface. “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Indeed.

Buzz Aldrin and the flag. Picture courtesy of NASA.

While this feat pales in comparison to the wit and wisdom of the rappers, while it did nothing to address man-made climate tax warming, and as it falls short of the spectacle that is “Love Island,” it’s still a fairly impressive accomplishment. By anyone’s standards. I’ve had two problems with it.

First, there’s the issue of whether it ever even happened in the first place. I’ve read and reviewed and dismissed as crankery almost all accounts of “the hoax.” For every tin-foil hat conspiracy issue raised there really is a valid explanation. The next time someone poses the great Van Allen Belt hypothesis to you, just counter by asking him to explain what base field forces he's talking about. Ask him to get spectral. Case closed. But, there is one item that falls outside the general Flat Earth silliness - THE MOON ROCKS.

One alleged sample, gifted to the Dutch, was revealed to be nothing more than common petrified wood. Oops! I’m going to, for the sake of moving this along, dismiss that as a human clerical error (there’s a lot of rocks floating around museums). However, there are not so many transuranic isotopes in ordinary circulation. NASA’s own spectrometric analysis of the collected samples revealed the (still totally unexplained) presence of elements known only to occur (artificially) on Earth. Think, Uranium 236 and Neptunium 237 and any number of Thorium. 

The crackpots are on the chemical trail too, explaining that: 1) we obviously had an earlier secret space program that contaminated the lunar surface, or 2) ET once vacationed by the Sea of Tranquility. More sane individuals alternatively suggest this is proof that the whole thing just didn’t happen. I disagree with all of them. The odds of certain Plutoniums, or even Brass, naturally synthesizing on the Moon are astronomically low. But, they exist, and as we’re talking about astronomy … it’s possible. It’s equally possible that the mass readings were off or that there was Earth-based contamination. In other words, I’m giving NASA the benefit of the doubt over and above their own reports - another small step for man.

I like to believe we did go to the moon. I’m 100% confident we had the ability to do so. In fact, we had - in the 1960s - better potential propellant technology available than the chemical rockets actually deployed. There’s just one thing…

My real reason to ever question the official account of the Lunar program is that it is the OFFICIAL ACCOUNT. The U.S. government is the source, here. With only a few, extraordinary exceptions, I never believe anything professed by Washington. But, friends, right here and now I’m going to make Apollo one of those few and far betweens. Hell, I’ll just assume that this was the first time that any of them told the truth since Andy Jackson said he was getting rid of the Second Bank. Another giant leap… Why?

For starters, it’s been fifty years and it was a program involving thousands of people. If it was a hoax, then by now someone (someone who knew something, not your friend’s uncle who worked at the gas station across the street from the Space Center) would have broken down. They haven’t. This is similar to the phenomenon of billions of people continuing to profess the Divinity of Christ for twenty centuries despite all those counter “proofs” offered up by the “smart” ¡SCIENCE! folks (the ones still hung up on those four forces pulling on Mr. Allen’s belt…). The facts presented blend into the historical fabric nicely.

And, history provides another loose example to sustain (if not prove) the government’s narrative. The age of space exploration is akin to the earlier great Age of Exploration of the seas. The exceptional voyages were all initially funded by the crown monarchs of Europe. The GubMint sent Columbus and Magellan where no (accurately recording) man had gone before. Then, the private mariners took over. Today, the vast majority of international shipping is conducted in the interests of commerce and/or transportation, with the combined ships of the world’s governments mainly serving only to shoot at each other. So it will happen in space. It’s already happening.

NASA operates in the past tense. Apollo and Saturn were fifty years ago. The mighty STS only lasted three decades. NASA currently has no operational crewed vehicle at all. But, the US does have a multitude of companies and individuals getting ready to take the helm. And, they will - someday extending those steps and leaps far beyond the Moon. But, they and we owe the kick-start to men like Armstrong and Aldrin and the incredible perseverance of a half-century ago. Salute.

- Perrin Lovett -

CF Floyd Feature Writer of National Affairs