A present from a neighbor

My neighbor, Suzi Sturdy, made this wreath for me. She knows that without her help, I'll never put anything on my front door. I thought it was a genuinely kind gesture. And I love The Star part of the wreath.

Karl Rove weighs in on the election

Everyone knows about Karl Rove. I found this on the Web. It's Karl Rove & Co.'s state-by-state breakdown of who takes each state. He also makes a final call of the election (but as we've said before, voters determine winners, not polls). So vote.

http://www.rove.com/uploads/0000/0049/McCain-Obama_11_3_08_FINAL.pdf

Interestingly, he does indeed call North Carolina for McCain, something more and more people believe will be the case. But it's clear that North Carolina is one of the tightest states for the presidential race. This state appears deadlocked and it will come down to which political party gets out the vote.

Why didn't I follow the instructions?

It clearly says in about 10 places, DO NOT use sharp objects to remove ice from the freezer in my compact refrigerator. It warns that you might puncture the coils.

So what do I do?

I use a screwdriver to remove the ice. And while I successfully removed the ice, I did indeed puncture the coils. The refrigerator dies. A perfect ending to a really lousy day.

I will never ever use a sharp object to remove ice again. Of course, I have to buy a new refrigerator first. Bummer.

Early voting lines healthy

It looked like the early voting lines were extremely healthy on Saturday. Apparently, extending the hours made a lot of sense. Perhaps it will help alleviate long lines on Tuesday in what is expected to be a record turnout.

Family graves, Toluca and 'Knobby'

Here's a column that's running in Sunday's paper:

I might have been born in Gastonia, but I have deep roots in Cleveland County.

That fact was reinforced Sunday when my family came up to visit me in Shelby. From there, I took them on a tour of upper Cleveland County.

I discovered a few things that still have me scratching my head.

My grandfather and grandmother, Hix and Lillie Wellman, are buried at the cemetery at Friendship Methodist Church in Fallston. (By the way, that's a pretty impressive war memorial in Fallston)

What stumps me is the last name Wellman. My grandfather spelled his last name "Wellman." His brother "Bub," just two graves away, spelled the name "Wellmon." So do some others I found in the cemetery. I don't know why there's a discrepancy. Perhaps someone filled out a form incorrectly somewhere along the way. I know reading and writing weren't particular priorities in this era. My grandfather was born in the 1890s.

Regardless, now we have Wellmons and Wellmans and people with both names are related to me -- not all of them of course, but certainly some of them.

Frankly, in the past I've never been one to get particularly interested in family history. But it also surprised me that I have relatives who live in the area who are doing a terrific job of maintaining the gravesites. They had nice flowers on all the family graves. They had also taken care to keep debris off the sites. And I really don't have a clue who they are.

Toluca and 'Knobby'

From there we went toward Lawndale and then I decided to show them Toluca, the area where Cleveland and Lincoln counties come together. I knew they would get a kick out of RedBone Willy's. Based on some phone calls I've received in the past, some folks don't believe Redbone Willy's is actually in Cleveland County. With the county lines all over the place in that area, I can see where there would be some confusion. I checked out the Cleveland County GIS records, and sure enough, the establishment is indeed on the tax rolls of Cleveland County.

Speaking of Toluca, in 1979 the former Jennie Palmer, now Jennie Lambert, wrote about "Knobby," a mysterious and unidentified creature local residents reported seeing around Carpenter's Knob. Some thought it was a bear. Some likened it to "Bigfoot." She wrote several stories about "Knobby." It was a big deal back then. People would travel from other states just to search for "Knobby." The stories live on to this day through the Internet. Folks are posting them on various sites and blogs.

Of course, Jennie Lambert was a writer for the Gaston Gazette at that time. She's the former publisher of The Star and is now publisher of The Gaston Gazette as well and vice president of Freedom North Carolina newspapers. She got a kick out of it when I sent her a link to one of her old Knobby stories. She also has deep roots in Cleveland County.

So whatever happened to Knobby? Do folks still talk about it? Did he die of old age? Did he relocate to Lincoln County? Shoot me an e-mail and let me know. It might be time to resurrect Knobby for an updated news story.

Fantasy football and that big Obama cutout

Two things: My fantasy baseball team looks like the Red Cross all-stars with all the injury crosses. I can't field a healthy team from week to week and I don't want to cut the injured players I have. There's always next year. And frankly, I like baseball better.

Also, did anyone else see that lifesize Obama cutout across the street from the early voting site on Patton Drive and Graham Street? Out of the corner of my eye I thought for a split second it was him. I almost wrecked. I heard people talking about that sign all day long. Early voting appeared off to a healthy start in Cleveland County.

Things are getting better in fantasy baseball

My fantasy baseball fortunes have taken a turn for the better. I'm in three leagues and I've struggled all year. However, in my keeper league I've gone from sixth place to a tie for second with one day to go. Finishing second (or third) in that league is actually an accomplishment.

In another league for editorial writers I've gone from 10th place to the championship round (it's a head-to-head league with playoffs). I'm leading the championship game -- barely. I need to hang on for one more day to win that league. I don't know if I can.

Finally, there's the Pee Dee League I've been in for several years. I'm going to finish a pitiful eighth out of 10 teams. I just couldn't get it going in that league this year. I still don't know what went wrong.

But as Meatloaf once said, "Two out of three ain't bad."

Actually, I'm glad the season is ending. It's tiring and I need to focus on fantasy football.

Nice Harley group, bad timing

I was driving back to Shelby on Friday morning and got behind a group of impressive Harley-Davidson motorcycles around Gastonia. I believe they were from a Michigan chapter based on the logos they were wearing.

I don't know why they were in Gastonia. It could have had something to do with the Harley store there and the fact that Click Baldwin owned it. I really don't know. At some point between I-85 and U.S. 74, all of us got stuck behind a chicken truck. I found it annoying with feathers flying everywhere. I know this group really had to find it annoying because on a motorcycle you don't have the protection to keep feathers from flying in your face. Fortunately, they got around the chicken truck rather quickly. They also seemed far more patient than myself.

All I know is after staring at these really plump chickens crowded in their cages it really put me in the mood for a juicy steak.

I will say this Harley group was decked out in some impressive equipment. They blow the tired old stereotype of motorcycle groups right out the window. My hat is off to them.

Rock legend dies

I've always dreamed that rock band Pink Floyd would reunite one day. That can never happen now. Founding member Richard Wright has died after a battle with cancer. I hope he'll be remembered as a great keyboardist to a legendary band, not as the guy who was pushed out after The Wall was recorded. I did get to see him in concert in Raleigh when I was in college.

Those wacky opening ceremonies for the Olympics

I've actually watched some of the Olympics this year, more than I usually do. But it seems like scandal after scandal is coming out of that spectacular opening ceremony. For days, everybody talked about how cool it was. Then came the fake singer, then some fake fireworks. Now there are news reports that they used actors to play ethnic minorities in the opening ceremonies. At least the athletes are real ... I think.

If Milli Vanilli take the court for China in doubles tennis, I'm done.

Skip Foster throws out the first pitch -- and doesn't mess it up

Here's video of my boss, Star Publisher Skip Foster, throwing out the first pitch at one of the American Legion Southeast Regional tournament games on Thursday. I'm sure he wouldn't want me to put this on my blog or the site, but I just couldn't stop myself. I lost the office pool that had him throwing the ball 10 feet over the catcher's head. We're sending the video to the Tampa Bay Rays to see if they have need for a pitching prospect:

Harry Potter fans are very, very mad

Reports are that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" movie won't hit theaters at all this year. How about 2009?

Warner Brothers has pushed the film from Nov. 21, 2008 to July 17, 2009, according to Variety.

If it helps, in my opinion, this is the least filmmable of the books. Too many flashbacks.

Can 'The Dark Knight' sink all-time box office record?

Each day that passes brings a new box office record for "The Dark Knight." The more interesting records are in the future. It should hit the $300 million mark within its first 11 days. That would also be a record. At the same time, it'll overtake "Iron Man" as the year's most successful movie. It has already made more at the box office than "Batman Begins" did in its entire theatrical run.

Will "The Dark Knight" overtake the all-time record at the box office set by "Titanic." I don't think so. It would have to cross the $600 million mark in the U.S. This is a dark, brooding film that's not particularly kid friendly. I liked the movie, but it's not for small children.

Also of note is the film entered the Imdb.com top 250 at No. 1. I've never seen No. 1budge on this highly subjective poll of moviegoers. The closest movie to get near No. 1 in recent years was "Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King." And it didn't make it.

"The Dark Knight" will be the No. 1 movie of 2008. It will make the top 10 overall in box office history, perhaps the top 5. It might topple "Star Wars" on the list at No. 2 all-time. But I don't think it will sink "Titanic." But we'll just have to wait and see.

The best TV show you've probably never seen

It's hard to find. But a little-known TV show out of England towers over virtually anything you'll find on TV these days. "Foyle's War" focuses on the homefront in England as the the country finds itself under seige during World War II. Despite the focus on the war, a lot of bad things are still happening on English soil.

The seasons of this show are extremely short -- about four, 90-minute episodes each. It actually falls under the mystery genre as there is a death or two in every episode. DCS Foyle is a brilliant detective with a unique knack for solving these mysteries. Trying to figure it out yourself is part of the fun. The series is in its sixth season. PBS is airing the fifth season now.

PBS picks it up as part of "Masterpiece Mystery." The show comes from ITV, not the BBC (frankly, I haven't quite figured out who's who in British television). For some reason the future is somewhat hazy for this well-respected series. I just know it's good television. Although it's difficult to find, you can rent it from some video stores or Netflix it.

The only knock on the show is many episodes tend to introduce too many characters. Sometimes it takes a little while to get things figured out as to who is who. But it's worth the effort.

Batman movie makes history

The Batman sequel, "The Dark Night," made history as the highest-grossing movie opening of all time -- around $65 million on Friday alone. It may break the record for the highest three-day opening as well.

It needs to beat "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," a dreadful film, and "Spider-Man 3," not as dreadful but not as good as the first two Spidey movies.

The cool thing about this is that the first movie was a slow builder. The previous Batman franchise had turned off fans so much that few trusted "Batman Begins." But word of mouth spread about how good it was and the box office numbers built up over time.

With the trust now fully restored, "The Dark Knight" should continue to make history. And I still haven't seen it. I'm going to wait until the crowds are down.

Taylor Hicks sports a devoted fanbase

Fellow blogger Adam Fenwick simply made the mention of Taylor Hicks in his blog one day, and the blog literally exploded in a heated debate with passionate arguments on both sides of the issue. It was interesting to watch as this pro-and-con debate unfolded.

Taylor Hicks, the 2006 winner of "American Idol," obviously has a loyal group of fans. He also has a fair amount of critics. I haven't heard much of the music of Taylor Hicks, but I can't see the point in actively seeking to tear him or anyone else down. I don't watch "American Idol." It's just not for me. But a lot of folks I know or work with follow it closely, never missing an episode. I will admit I did watch some of the episode last year that featured cover versions of Beatles songs.

But I digress. If Mr. Hicks makes his fans happy with his music, more power to them and him. Who can really argue with that? If everyone liked the same music and singers, there would be few choices out there and the music scene would be quite dull. Variety is the key -- something for everyone. How else can you explain Graham Cawthon's inclusion of A Flock of Seagulls in his weekly music column?

Did anyone catch the Batman movie?

Did anyone catch the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight"? Did anyone like the Batman movie? There was a midnight showing, but I'm getting too old for that sort of thing. The movie appears to be darker than the first one. But the reviews are through the roof. It's really one of the best reviewed movies of the year so far. I want to see it in the worst way. I'm just not going to rush out. Feel free to post what you think of the movie here.

The good, the bad and the Uggla

The good, the bad and the Uggla: This was the joke we were tossing around about the All-Star game that lasted forever. I don't usually watch this thing, but it got interesting when it looked like they were going to run out of pitchers. If the game had continued, we would have had third-baseman David Wright pitching as well as outfielder J.D. Drew. These guys are good, but they aren't pitchers.

There were a few other interesting things about the All-Star break. Second-base All-Star Chase Utley shamed my fantasy team by saying a major boo-boo on national TV during the home-run derby. We're talking the grandfather of bad words. Remember "A Christmas Story." In this case, however, he completed the word. Didn't he notice the microphone on his uniform? ESPN blushed. Utley has always come across as a down-to-earth guy that hasn't let his success go to his head. He has apologized, but this will hurt his image with some. A little humility could go a long way -- and a few more home runs.

Then there's the horrible game from Dan Uggla. His errors kept piling up in the game despite the fact that he hasn't had that many in the regular season. He had an ugly game.

Then there's the booing of Jonathan Papelbon, the great Boston closer. He should take it as an honor. He was playing in Yankee Stadium. What did he expect? A gracious welcome. They boo their own players there. Who cares what the New York tabloids say about him? He's a great closer for a team I hate.

The best story is the emergence of Josh Hamilton, a former first pick in the draft who fell into a life of drug addiction and fell completely out of baseball. He has battled back through a strong support system and his strong faith in God. He won over a tough Yankee Stadium crowd at the home-run derby and won the hearts of millions. You can blame him for getting into drugs if you want. That's fair. But why not praise him for leaving that life behind and reclaiming glory on the baseball field. I can't wait for someone to make a movie about this remarkable story.

They'll be no movie about Dan Uggla: This Florida Marlin standout flopped like a fish out of water.

A block party in Shelby

Patton Oaks held its annual block party on Tuesday night. Residents lined up for hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, and a large selection of treats. The block party has become a tradition at Patton Oaks and residents enjoy getting out, talking to each other and taking advantage of the food and fellowship.

Kidney for sale: Scam or truly desperate person?

Needless to say, we get a lot of strange e-mails here at The Star. I got one today offering to sell me a kidney for $250,000. Is this a scam or a truly desperate person? I think I'll write a full column on this one. For now, here's the text of the e-mail (I didn't correct the grammar):

"I am an Indian & 38 years old. Clean habit and pure vegetarian.

My Blood Group is B+. I am offering my kidney for a price of US $ 250,000
(Two hundred & fifty thousand US Dollars). Only genuine buyers who are able to pay the asking price are requested to contact me.

My kidney would be sold on a first come, first serve basis. I have a pasport,

In case interested please contact me on my email address. About the price, it is not negotiable. Hope to hear from you."