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Annie Oakley Days Hosts Wild West Arts Showcase Performances

In Entertainment, Local News, National News on July 11, 2011 at 11:12 am

Whip handling, knife throwing and trick roping headline seven shows at the fairground coliseum during Annie Oakley Days.

Whip Artist / Showcase Producer Gery L. Deer - http://www.thewhipstudio.com

GREENVILLE, OH – Wild West performers headlining the 9th Annual Annie Oakley Western Arts Showcase are gearing up for five live performances during Annie Oakley Days in the upper level of the Darke County Fairground Coliseum. Entertainers will be appearing from shows like America’s Got Talent and The Bonnie Hunt Show. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday July 29, 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday the 30th and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 31st. Each show is free with regular admission.

Writer, entertainer Gery L. Deer is an award-winning whip artist and serves as the producer and director of the performances. “We’re happy to be back at Annie Oakley Days for our ninth year of precision whip artistry, knife throwing and fancy trick roping,” said Deer, who is also the managing director of The Whip Artistry Studio training center in Jamestown, Ohio. “I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to show the public that Wild West arts are real and require talent and skill, not to mention years of practice.”

Each showcase will also feature champion knife thrower Kirk Bass, of Xenia, who teams up with wife Melodee in the suspenseful “Bass Blades” impalement show. Bass is a certified thrown weapons instructor with the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame and the assistant director for the Western Arts Showcase events.

According to Deer, the best shows to see will be on Saturday. “We pull out all the stops on Saturday, with Wild West arts exhibitions during the afternoon performance and a longer, variety show in the evening.” Saturday night’s extended program will be hosted by The Brothers & Co. Entertainers music and variety group from Jamestown, Ohio. Often compared to The Statler Brothers or Oak Ridge Boys, “The Boys In Black” do a combination of four-part vocals and Vaudeville-style comedy and variety routines.

All performances are family friendly. For more information go online to http://www.thewhipstudio.com/annieoakley.html or call (937) 902-4857.

Casey Anthony Acquitted On First Degree Murder Charge

In Media, National News, Uncategorized on July 5, 2011 at 2:17 pm

Outrage swept social media as Casey Anthony's acquittal was read.

FLORIDA – Casey Anthony has been acquitted on charges of first degree murder and manslaughter. She has been found guilty of four counts of providing false information to law enforcement. Anthony was arrested in connection with the 2008 murder of her 2-year old daughter, Caylee. Jurors deliberated through the Fourth of July weekend, reaching a verdict at about 2pm.

The acquittal has generated anger and frustration online and by television commentators. Reading the verdict live on CBS’s daytime show, The Talk, co-host Julie Chen broke into tears as her co-hosts and the live audience reacted in stunned amazement. Facebook and Twitter immediately came alive with similar responses as word spread of the trial’s outcome.

Anthony was sentenced to one year and $1,000 for each of four misdemeanor counts. With credit for time served and good behavior, Anthony is scheduled to be released on July 17, 2011.

(Photos courtesy Red Huber/AP and International Business Times)

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New Book By Reclusive Local Author Highlights Judeo Christian Mysticism

In Local News, Media, National News, Senior Lifestyle on June 29, 2011 at 1:05 pm

Local Literary News

Images Old and New by Sarah Seymour-Winfield

GREENE COUNTY – A Greene County author now shares with readers a similarly controversial book, the result of a twenty-year journey following a deep, personal spiritual awakening. Officially released by Greyden Press in June, Images Old and New by Sarah Seymour-Winfield is described as, “A scholarly book about Christian mysticism.”

The book is a painstakingly referenced mixture of theologically-based studies including literature, philosophy and spiritualism, offering the reader unique insights into the Bible and its origins. The author’s goal is to help readers on a path to their own illumination.

“Long ago on Mount Sinai, Moses, Aaron, and seventy-two privileged men actually saw the God of Israel and with Him actually ate and drank,” recalled Seymour-Winfield. “Likewise, Images Old and New grants the contemporary reader a similar mystical privilege through the readings of Scripture alone – to see God in the contemporary world and live.”

Because of Seymour-Winfield’s notable public absence, the author is being represented by Gery L. Deer, senior publicist and managing copywriter with GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing in Jamestown. “Sarah’s work has received outstanding reviews from theological experts around the country,” Deer said. “Early interest in the book has been surprising, from the devout and the secular alike, particularly in the academic community.”

According to Deer, Images Old and New has been chosen as an accompanying text this fall for one of the religion courses at the University of Dayton. Writers of theologically-based fiction are also showing great interest in Images. The book is to be the focus of several panel sessions during the 2011 Context Alternative Fiction Literary Conference in Columbus, August 28-30.

Currently the book is available in paper and hardback editions online, directly from the publisher or by contacting the author’s publicist, Gery L. Deer by calling (937) 902-4857. Limited copies are available for scholarly review by application to the publicist. Excerpts and a full bibliography, as well as scholarly reviews of the book, are available on the official website http://www.imagesoldandnew.com.

Electric Cars Are Coal Powered

In Business, Economy, Local News, National News, Opinion, Politics on June 28, 2011 at 2:54 pm

By Gery L. Deer
Deer In Headlines

A few years ago gasoline prices were hovering around the 5-dollar per gallon
mark driving automakers around the world to meet the sweeping demand for
alternatively powered vehicles. Within a year, nearly every company had unveiled
its own version of either a hybrid or fully electric passenger car.

The first electrically-powered cars were introduced in the U.S. and Europe
around the mid-nineteenth century. Though it is unclear who actually invented
the concept back in those days, today there is every reason to believe that the
electric car is no better of a solution than its gasoline ancestors; at least
not yet.

According to the United States Energy Information Administration, almost half
(45 percent) of America’s electrical power is currently generated by burning
coal. Natural gas and nuclear power come in second and third, 23-percent and
20-percent, respectively. Wind and hydroelectric power providers barely even
register on the scale.

With these facts in mind, it may as well be said that an electric car being
operated in the United States is essentially powered by coal. Yes, coal; and
environmentally-minded drivers need to know that there’s nearly nothing green
about driving an electric car.

Coal mining requires the excavation of substantial areas of land and poses a
host of environmental hazards including soil erosion, excessive noise and
pollution of the air and water. In an effort to appear more environmentally
friendly over the years, mining companies have done a better job at covering
their tracks. However, backfilling and tree planting will ever undo the overall
destruction caused by the extraction process.

Mining also takes a toll in human life. In 2010, for example, 48 people died
working in American coal mines. At the same time, China lost more than 2,400
workers to mining accidents.

Once mined, coal is burned to boil water for immense steam turbines which
generate electricity. Burning coal is a dirty process; a statement that cannot
be easily disputed. Burning coal gives off a mixture of sulfur dioxide, carbon
dioxide and nitrogen oxide.

Any ideas that so-called clean coal technologies will help to curtail
environmental damage is idealistic but finally erroneous. Adding
chemical-filtering scrubbers to the chimneys of power plants will only slightly
reduce the amount of toxins released into the atmosphere over time because of
the increasing number of plants needed to meet power demands.

And what happens to the contaminants when reusable scrubbers are cleaned? Some
scientists claim that the filtered toxic waste ends up in the soil and water
supplies in close proximity to the power plants. There is no consensus on an
answer to this question.

Eventually, the world’s coal supply will be exhausted, just as petroleum stores
will be and vehicle designers will be back to square one. But the immediate
issue rests in how to limit America’s dependence on foreign fuel supplies. For
the moment, electricity seems to be the go-to technology, but even the cars
themselves pose an environmental threat.

While they may not directly create a pollution problem, electric cars have some
particularly toxic components, particularly the lithium-ion batteries which
power the motors. Currently, the federal government says these batteries can be
freely disposed of in normal municipal landfills.

Toyota, on the other hand, recently stated that lithium-ion batteries were far
too hazardous to be used in passenger cars at all. If sold en mass, these
batteries could create a significant amount of solid waste, with no
predetermined plan for their complete disposal or breakdown.

Trading one problem for another is not a solution. For now, the amount of
petroleum needed to generate wind and solar power prevents either from becoming
immediately affordable or practical. There is no perfect answer but until there
is a viable option, not just for gasoline but also for coal, the electric car is
not going to help the environmental problem.

In the end, using more electricity to run the millions of automobiles in the
United States will, at least in the short term, generate more pollution and
waste. Anyone looking down their environmentally-friendly noses from behind the
wheel of an electric car should remember just how much damage they may still be
doing.


Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business writer based in Jamestown,
Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

Bin Laden Is Dead. Now What?

In Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized on May 2, 2011 at 3:37 pm

Commentary By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

As the free world celebrates the final demise of Osama Bin Laden, it’s important to keep the victory in perspective. The death of this vicious murderer signals neither the end of global terrorism nor the collapse of Al Qaeda.

Security has been increased at air ports and military bases around the country and the world in preparation for possible retaliatory strikes against the United States. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately raise the terror threat level, but are telling the media that they are keeping a, “heightened state of vigilance.”

Once the jubilation settles down, Americans will be saying, “Ok, we got him, now what?” Good question. The answer is that there is no answer. When Adolf Hitler was confirmed dead, the world celebrated. Needless to say, Hitler killed millions more than Bin Laden, but the sentimental comparison is similar.

The difference was that Hitler, for all of his madness, was the leader of a definable government. Once Berlin fell and Hitler was dead, the healing could begin. German citizens could begin rebuilding their country and try to undo the horrors he’d laid at their feet.

Bin Laden, on the other hand, was the leader of an ideal more so than an organization. His murderous followers firmly believe in the fanatical ideas that he preached, most notably that the United States and its allies are the evil scourge of the world and should be eradicated.

There is no doubt that they will continue his efforts undaunted by his death. If anything, he’s now a martyr to them, possibly fueling their fanaticism even further.

The so-called “War on Terror” is not over, by any stretch of the imagination, but the world can breathe for a minute while a stunned Al Qaeda regroups. American and Allied forces will continue their efforts to smoke out the remaining leaders of the organization and fight for freedom and the safety of all the world’s people.

Every free citizen of the world should be mindful of the level of destruction of which crazed fanatics like Bin Laden are capable. It can all happen again. Government leaders should be careful who they befriend. Where will the next threat come from – a terror group, or an organized government?

Instead of airplanes into buildings, the next attack could be nuclear bombs that wipe out an entire city. Intelligence agencies are working hard to stop these actions before they even get out of the planning stages. So far, they’ve managed to stay ahead of the terrorists, but America must not let her guard down for even a moment.

National security is still of the utmost importance. Every day, terror groups are recruiting new members and global intelligence organizations will do everything possible to keep them under surveillance.

In the meantime, how will the death of the world’s most notorious terrorist affect the daily lives of average Americans? With the possible exception of crackpot conspiracy theorists who believe the U.S. government arranged the 9/11 attacks, most Americans will be celebrating Bin Laden’s death. But it is unlikely that there will be any dramatic change to day-to-day activities.

Alabama will continue its tornado recovery efforts. Congress will maintain bickering across the aisle about budget cuts and party objectives. Commuters will worry about rising gas prices and shrinking paychecks.

Kids will be rushed off to school in the morning and those who have been struggling to find work will do their best to remain hopeful and diligent. Life goes on.

What’s next? Only time will tell. Celebrations will continue for a time, but, eventually, people will become complaisant once again. Osama Bin Laden’s death may yield a false sense of security, but the very nature of the enemy behests vigilance and consistency.

Public Employee Protests Just The Beginning

In Business, Economy, Jobs, Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on February 28, 2011 at 8:35 pm

By Gery L. Deer

DEER IN HEADLINES

A serious uprising is currently in progress against several state legislatures around the country. In capitol buildings around the country public employees are protesting en mass in response to a proposed bill that, among other things, would limit their collective bargaining power.

When Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced that there would be an immediate vote on the bill, thousands of teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public workers descended on the capitol and entrenched themselves in dissent.

A similar bill has been introduced in other states, including Ohio, resulting in the same kinds of resistance. In an unprecedented and brilliant political publicity stunt former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland joined the protestors on Thursday, even donning their red-colored clothing. The red clothing is an effort by union members to steer opinion away from the belief that unions are purely democratic organizations.

While protests flare, the democratic members of the Wisconsin legislature fled the state in an effort to stall the vote. Both states are in a serious budget deficit and their republican legislative members are insisting that correcting the disproportionate benefit investment requirements between the public and private sector employees would help to shore up state coffers.

In addition, the Ohio bill would replace negotiated salaries for teachers with merit raises, which is how wage increases are granted in the majority of private sector jobs. Limiting the power of unions to engage in collective bargaining activities on behalf of public employees has sparked rage across the country, and now the Tea Party movement has jumped into the fight, showing the instability and unfocused actions of its organizers.

The Tea Party’s involvement in the collective bargaining debate serves only to contradict its own foundation. The Tea Party movement began because certain groups of conservative Americans were unhappy with the ways in which their legislative representatives were handling their interests in Washington, in effect, limiting their collective bargaining strength.

The point of a union is to work on behalf of its members to bargain with employers for the best possible working conditions and benefits. Representation of a group of constituents, whether they are made up of voters or union members, is essentially the same concept. In Ohio, Governor John Kasich is not only supporting the current bill but also wants even further union limitations.

If balancing the budget is really the problem, perhaps unions and legislators should do a better job at bargaining in the first place. Some salaries for public workers seem totally off balance with the position. The idea that anyone in a public school system, for example, makes a six-figure income should infuriate people more than anything else.

Consider the superintendent of Dayton Public Schools whose salary, as of July 2010, was $150,000. Why? The Ohio governor earns only $145,000, and that’s only the 14th highest in the country. How does running a school system possibly warrant more money than overseeing the operations of an entire state?

Besides the collective bargaining argument, there is also the debate as to whether public workers should be required to contribute as much to their retirement and healthcare plans as their private sector counterparts. The answer to this is a resounding yes. There is no reason that public employees should have their health care or retirement over-subsidized by the taxpayer when those same constituents already provide their paychecks.

Some teachers are underpaid and some are making too much, as do firefighters, police officers and health care providers. But in the end, they are taxpayers too and they should appreciate that everyone else has to ante up for their benefits and forcing the public to pay the majority of it is unreasonable.

There is no question that that there may be inherent union corruption and their power should be reasonably limited to work for the good of lower level employees, not to boost overinflated benefits of a few. Sadly, unions are still a necessary evil in the continuing effort to ensure fair labor practices whether public or private.  That said, if the governors of these troubled states are paying attention, there are only two words to keep in mind: remember Egypt.

Columnist Gery L. Deer is a freelance journalist and business writer based in Jamestown. Read more at http://www.gerydeer.com

Modern Liberal Society Rewards Self-Destructive Behavior

In Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized on January 20, 2011 at 2:01 pm

Commentary By Gery L. Deer

DEER IN HEADLINES

Over the last month the rags to riches story of the homeless man with the “golden voice,” Ted Williams, captured national attention. One minute he’s begging for change along a busy intersection in Columbus, and the next he’s being offered high-paying voiceover jobs. The Cleveland Cavaliers even offered Williams his own home at no cost.

During an appearance on The Dr. Phil Show, television host Dr. Phil McGraw asked Williams some tough questions that had to have crossed the minds of millions. Paraphrasing what Dr. Phil said to him, “Ok, so you’ve been in trouble with the law, been on drugs and alcohol, abandoned your wife and children, and now you’re getting a second chance. Why do you think this time will be different?” Williams really had no response.

A few weeks later, Dr. Phil’s concerns are realized when Williams is arrested after a drunken fight with his daughter. He is now in rehab, thanks to some straight talk and a compassionate, if not misplaced intervention by Dr. Phil.

Williams was plucked from homelessness and a life of drugs and drinking and plopped down in the middle of fame and fortune and yet people had some ridiculous idea that he would suddenly change his ways. Why are people so much more willing to help someone with a troubled past than to support people who have stayed on the straight and narrow their entire lives?

For those who work hard their whole lives, struggle to pay the bills, stay away from drugs and booze and do everything they can to secure a home and job, stories like this are extremely frustrating. It seems to some that working hard and staying cleans only means that the breaks will never come.

Modern American (liberal) society seems more and more to look down on the working person and holds the lazy, entitlement-driven, drunken and disorderly in higher regard than ever. Today’s celebrities, for example, are valued not for their talent but for their ability to beat a DUI arrest or drug bust.

Spare the “it’s an addiction” defense. In order to become addicted to something, a person has to start doing it in the first place. It is seriously doubtful that anyone held a gun to Mr. Williams’ head the first time he emptied a bottle of Grey Goose, which he is reported to have been drinking before his latest arrest.

It’s unrealistic and hopelessly optimistic to think that someone with such a long history of destructive behavior is suddenly going to change because he got money and a haircut. In fact, it generally goes the other way. People who are yanked from a sorted existence of their own making only tend to indulge to the extreme when given the opportunity.

So what will become of Mr. Williams? Statistics are against him, unfortunately. Since he did not choose to go to rehab on his own, instead being shamed into the decision on national television, it is unlikely that his recovery will be successful. Adding that he may emerge with more fame and money than was available before his rehab stint, the sudden kick in status from having nothing to getting everything will probably have him seeing the bottom of a bottle sooner than later.

Statistics can be wrong, of course, and the man with the golden voice might just get his life together. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to have Dr. Phil come to their rescue.

For everyone else out there who is working hard and staying clear of temptation, keep it up. It might seem frustrating at times that no bleeding heart do-gooder will ever swoop in to solve your problems for you, but there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. The real trick is to know how to turn it on — hard work, persistence, and faith in yourself.

Gery L. Deer is a freelance columnist and business writer based in Jamestown. Read more at http://www.gerydeer.com.

Only Loughner Is To Blame for Tucson Shooting

In Business, Media, National News, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on January 12, 2011 at 11:51 am

Commentary By Gery L. Deer

DEER IN HEADLINES

As authorities work to piece together more details on the Tucson, Arizona shooting that killed six and critically injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, people should be mindful of the dangers involved with courting rumor and speculation.

Pundits are inundating the airways and cyberspace with opinions, speculation and finger pointing in an effort to use this horrific event to discredit the platform of their opponents. Politicizing this event in such a way is shameful.

While there is little doubt that the shooter, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, is a deeply troubled and unstable individual, no evidence has been uncovered at this point to support theories of conspiracy. Nor has he been officially tied to any sort of anti-government organization or political party.

Yet, there is further talk about this man being encouraged to violence by the politicians themselves through metaphor or badly worded speeches and writings. However, to blame Sarah Palin, Barak Obama or anyone else for this man’s twisted behavior is pointless and disrespectful to all involved, particularly the victims.

The events of January 7th were perpetrated by one man whose dissatisfaction with the world around him combined with his mental and emotional issues to push him over the edge of reason and compassion.

No doubt the Hollywood left will soon weigh in about the fact that the man used a gun. A gun control argument regarding this situation is pointless. If Loughner was as mentally disturbed as has been reported, he would have found a way to do this, whether by way of a gun or some other weapon. And if the gun could not be bought legally, he would have obtained it illegally.

Just a reminder, Presidents Reagan and Kennedy were both shot while surrounded by the United States Secret Service – the best-trained and best-armed security officers in the history of the world. Crackpots will always find a way.

Through all of the mindless conjecture being bantered about on television news and talk radio, one argument does have some merit. Political rhetoric and unrest is at a long-time high in America right now. Not since the Vietnam War have Americans been so politically divided.

Clearly America’s political landscape is toxic and shows no immediate signs of improvement. Even so, how one chooses to respond to the current state of government separates activists from lunatics. There is no way to know what Loughner hoped to gain by attacking Congresswoman Giffords, but it is likely he expected to be killed in the attempt.

No one made this man act as he did. It was his choice – whether he proves out to be sane or not. His political or emotional motives are little comfort to families and friends of his victims who struggle to cope with the loss and injury of loved ones.

The big question now is to determine how something like this can be prevented from happening again? Unfortunately, there is just no way to do that. As long as there is a voice of the people, there will be no way to please everyone and fanatics always manage to float to the top, like flotsam in the currents of history.

Occasionally, those fanatics turn out to be great heroes, like our own founding fathers. Usually, however, they are just misguided malcontents who never see the bigger picture or have any understanding of how their actions affect others.

Winston Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” As long as people are free to speak their minds, people will voice their discontent. Practiced peacefully, protest brings about healthy change and keeps politicians on the straight and narrow. When protest turns violent however, as it did in Tucson, innocent people pay the price.

Gery L. Deer is a freelance writer and columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at http://www.gerydeer.com

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There Is Life After Bullying

In Children and Family, Education, Health, National News, Opinion, psychology, sociology, Uncategorized on October 19, 2010 at 10:12 am

dih-logo-SEA recent survey indicated that 77 percent of elementary and middle school students reported that they had been the victims of a bully at some time. The information also revealed that more than half of bullying incidents go unreported.

The recent suicides of several teens that had been tortured by bullies because of their sexuality have prompted a flood of media attention to the problem. I am concerned, however, that the public and the media are forgetting about other groups who have always been the targets of bullying including those with physical and mental disabilities, the impoverished and various ethnicities. I can relate to these issues – I know how they feel.

I was born with a serious congenital birth defect that had me in and out of the hospital for the first 20 years of my life. A multitude of medical issues combined with just being physically smaller than other kids my age made me the perfect target for bullies.

Rustin-Kluge-Anti-Bullying

Rustin-Kluge-Anti-Bullying

Oddly, none of my health problems were openly visible to anyone around me. Virtually everything people knew about me was total conjecture and inaccurate rumors with no factual basis. Unfortunately, facts and reason rarely work with people who are terrified of anyone who is different – whether the differences are obvious or not.

As if I didn’t have enough to contend with at the hospital, at school I was pushed, called names, kicked, hit, had my book bags ransacked, my lockers vandalized and my musical instruments thrown around on the school bus – all to the complete oblivion of school officials. In fact, some stood right there while it all happened, literally choosing to ignore it.

While the majority of the adults around me were supportive and helpful, there were a few who were downright cruel. Teachers, coaches and bus drivers are in a unique position to bully under the guise of maintaining order and discipline. *Despite what the party line might be, each teacher or administrator has his or her favorites – athletes, star students, and so on – who will always get preferential treatment. After all, these adults want (and desperately need due to a horribly low level of self esteem) to be liked by the students as much as the other kids.

A perfect example of this kind of ignorance came in my sixth grade year. I was out of school with a simple case of chicken pox. Noting my absence during roll call, the teacher told the rest of the class they shouldn’t get too attached to me because I had a serious disease and wouldn’t live to see my 15th birthday. With that thoroughly incorrect announcement, the rumors went viral.

So why don’t parents get more involved? Most of the time, parents have no idea what is going on. I never talked about it much. I doubt my parents ever knew how bad it really was.

In the end, I won. Eventually, I realized that it wasn’t my fault that people couldn’t deal with me. At the ripe old age of 43, my health is good, I’m a successful writer and entrepreneur and, despite my sixth grade teacher’s prediction, I am still here.

I carry no anger or malice towards the kids who spent so much of their time trying to better themselves by humiliating me. Oddly enough, a couple of them have already preceded me in death. As for those who are still with us, I actually feel sorry for them and genuinely hope they grew up to succeed in life. The adults, on the other hand, were the true villains.

It was nearly impossible to keep my personal issues private in a tiny farm town where everyone gossiped about things they didn’t even understand. I can’t imagine what kids today are going through as every detail of their lives are posted online for all to see – especially those struggling with personal identity issues.

Sadly, bullies are not just in school and, as I pointed out, adults can be just as bad as kids. A bully can be someone who abuses or oversteps her authority as a supervisor at work, a civic official or a teacher who ignores the academic struggles of a student in class because he or she is not one of the star athletes. Bullies are everywhere but you don’t have to take their abuse.

If you have been the victim of a bully, try to forgive them. They are small, sad and hopeless people who have nothing but pain inside. Forget trying to reason with them, it never works.

Whatever you do, don’t lower yourself to their level. Walk away. Turn off the computer. Seek out help and surround yourself with people who care and who will support you. None of these pathetically insecure people is worth your dignity … or your life.