Philing in the Blank

There has been an ongoing debate between me and a few other people regarding whether a Jacksonville highway is spelled “Philips” with one “L” or “Phillips” with two “L’s”. The other day, in an attempt to put this debate to an end, I snapped a photo of this highway sign to the left (I pulled over this time to take the shot). The photo (click it to enlarge) clearly indicates that Philips Highway is, indeed, spelled with one “L”. Before, even when I had told certain people about the road signs, they still held firm to believing that Philips was spelled with two “L’s”. Their reason for this was usually tied to the fact that many businesses have “Phillips” with two “L’s” on their signage and in their phone book listings. I realize that this is an easy mistake to make as well as a relatively trivial matter, but it’s a perfect example of mass ignorance. Just because a majority of the people are doing something doesn’t make it right. That sort of reasoning is why we currently have people in high office who can’t pronounce the word “nuclear”.

In the specific case of Philips Highway, I think it’s especially important that we get the spelling correct in order to pay proper respect to A. Philip Randolph, a local pioneer in the African-American civil rights movement.

For those of you who thought I was invincible, meet Beth Westberry

I had no idea that the number one female arm wrestler in America resided right here in Jacksonville. Meet Beth Westberry. Westberry currently holds the number one title in the U.S for women competing in the World Armwrestling Federation. She is going on to represent team USA in the World Armwrestling Championship held in Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria.

Westberry recently had a competition table set up at a Female Roller Derby event I was covering as part of my freelance work. I decided to take her on myself. Okay, let’s just say that the final results did not hedge in my favor. Okay, let’s just say that I didn’t win. Okay, let’s just say that she defeated me within a fraction of a second.

Be looking for my “Five Questions” segment with Westberry in the pages of Folio Weekly in the coming weeks.

Here is the humiliating visual evidence of Westberry making quick work of me.

For all of the women who have ever hated me, please enjoy…

Rubber Ring

On the left is a picture that I snapped recently while driving along the downtown Jacksonville portion of I-95 (click on the picture to view an enlarged version). It is a picture of a truck that had a ridiculously large, unsecured stack of automobile tires piled up on its bed. The driver of this particular vehicle didn’t even bother to throw a token rope over the unsteady pile of rubber to create the illusion of safety. One untimely bump or unexpected swerve and those tires were going to fly everywhere. Such an event would wreak all kinds of havoc on this busy stretch of interstate, most likely causing multiple accidents and perhaps even death. I took this picture because this is just one of the many “accidents waiting to happen” that I see rolling down the roads of Jacksonville almost every time I take to the wheel–and many of the imminent disasters look much worse than this one. Often times, I will see a police vehicle ride right on past these mobile monstrosities. Why aren’t the cops pulling over these careless cruisers? I suppose Sheriff Rutherford’s local police squad is too busy harassing pot smokers and writing me parking tickets to be bothered with such matters.

And don’t even get me started on those idiots who are trying to take pictures while driving!