(No, it's not time for a new category heading...yet.)

If you're not familiar with the concept of six degrees of separation, I'm not going to explain it to you.

Well, today I was glancing through this article from The Consumerist.  "Oh, a North Carolina man, eh?"

So...I clicked on through to the Yahoo article.  I read on... "Duke University Medical Center..." blah blah blah... "Manley's case eventually came to the attention of Dr. Momen Wahidi, director of interventional pulmonology at Duke."  Why does that name sound familiar?

I check back to my e-mail for where I thought I might see that name.  As it turns out, I just did a side job for a Dr. Maxwell.  Dr. Maxwell.  My boss had Ms. Springs contact me, and Ms. Springs put me in contact with Dr. Maxwell.  Ms. Springs is the assistant to:  Dr. Momen Wahidi.

My network is growing. 

The Ripple Effect: What One Layoff Means For A Whole Town (Frome Time.com)

"Though it has been painful for him, Whitfield's lost job should have had little effect beyond his immediate family. One lost job is a microscopic event in the massive organism of the U.S. economy."

This article is an interesting read about Roxboro, NC...just minutes from the booming Bushy Fork metro area where I grew up.

(Thanks to Cousin Susan for tipping me off to this one.)

Duh-dun.

Duh-dun.

Dun dun dun dun dun dun....

Read more about this on Crystal Coast News.

I've decided on a new category here on Stephen'z Blog:  Spam Recipes!  Oh, no wait...I meant to say "Stephen'z Small Town Newz!"  (If I keep introducing new categories, I'm gonna have to have a "New Category"category.)

You see, Shanda's from rural Columbus County, and I'm from rural Person County, so there are likely some gems to appear in the local newspapers from time to time.   It seems as though the folks in Columbus County are really digging the whole information superhighway thing, perhaps thanks to Billy Bob visiting town, moreso than the folks in Roxboro, as The News Reporter is updated more frequently than the Person County Life (online edition of the Courier=Times).

So anyhow, without further adieu, here is your (and my) small town newz!

It's best to let mating gators lie. (News Reporter)

We don't need to be on them innernets. (Person County Life)

Again, please buckle up! (News Reporter)

We need the landfill.  (Those playing the home game can guess where this one's from.)

Axe may fall on teaching positions, and therefore more student essays.  (Person County Life)

Holding up the axe. (News Reporter)

That's it for today.  The landfill article above belongs to ... The News Reporter ... (hilight for answer) this week.  We'll revisit the other paper's landfill issues some other time.

That's it for this Premier and perhaps Final edition of Stephen'z Small Town Newz, check in later for more...or not.

Our neighbor* Meg** was taking a trip out to an Arts & Crafts Conference in Asheville and decided to do the environmentally friendly thing and go Greyhound.  After the internet page gave her errors with each attempt to purchase a ticket, she called the ticket hotline and they said that her billing information didn't match her account.  She finally went to the bus station to purchase her ticket.

Apparently, it wasn't really important that her billing information match her account in order for her to be charged for the ticket, it was just important that her billing information match her account in order for her to receive the ticket.  So meanwhile, she had $1000 worth of charges hit her account, activating a fraud watch on her account, and keeping the $1000 from leaving her account.

This makes me wonder, did she ever pay for the ticket?

Read the firsthand account at Simpson's Paradox, or the secondhand account at Consumerist.

* I use the term "neighbor" very loosely...she lives the next city over, and we've never met.

** Last name withheld to prevent her from Googling herself.  NTTAWWT...I Google myself sometimes.  Of course, I'm sure she'll be Googling Meg Greyhound to see what comes up, but...ah, whatev.  Welcome, Meg!