The Contra Costa Times based in Walnut Creek, California, went into a hissy-fit over my story that broke in the wee hours this moring titled: “Reporters That Kill: A Princess-Presbyterian Minister—Oakley Pastor. I had accepted a phone call yesterday morning from Times Reporter, Rowena Coetsee, but did so since I knew her, and trusted her. I should have remembered The Scorpion Story…“What did you expect? I AM a scorpion.”

Because I genuinely like people and expect the best from them, I am an easy target and often taken advantage of and misused. That is why President Ronald Reagan said, “Trust…but verify.”

Ms. Coetsee said she was doing a gentler version of the news regarding Pastor Jerry and wanted to ask me a couple of questions which,  in my naivete, agreed to answer, only because I have manners, but also I trusted her.

Later that evening, the upcoming story was posted on The Times Website, http://www.contracostatimes.com It should not have been surprising that she re-wrote most of what I said to fit her own story direction. “Too soon oldt and too late schmart”

I emailed her a polite request to change words that I had never said and to delete other additions that really were off track and not necessary. It was an attempt to have the changes made before the paper went to bed and published in print form.

This is a very rare occurrance. MilesTones deeply regrets the posting of a story without giving careful consideration to the incident beforehand. So much so that, with hat in hand, this writer with great humility, begs forgiveness from the subject of that recently published entry with a sincere apology for thoughtlessly putting this before the public. To say this lapse of judgement disturbs me is a gross understatement. Critics, enjoy this while you can.

All of us have watched and chuckled over movie clip outakes that show a star fluffing lines, forgetting where he or she is in the program while seemingly unable to control a flow of jangled words. A year ago at the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards, several stars, who were obviously so loaded that they could do a high wire act without the wire, could not even put two words together for their acceptence speech or presenter’s introductions. MilesTones did cover that SAG Awards show with a twinkle in the words.  Moreover, when the stars are out of sorts, it is usually because of their own abuse of substance and themelves.

When CBS 2 TV reporter, Serene Branson, recently tried to cover the Grammy Awards on a live telecast, her words were too jumbled to understand. She virtually could not put two words together, and what came out was not words but sounds. The clip of that on-air disaster quickly hit U-Tube which immediately garnered millions of viewers who got quite a laugh out of it. Unfortunately, they include this writer, who posted the video with a tongue-in-cheek take on it.

Our guest columnist, Jen Shroder is a skilled writer of total integrity who tackles the  issues affecting America today minus the whitewash, which sets her apart.. She has not shirked from printing the truth even though her courage has prompted death threats and attempts to sabotage her website. This woman of courage continues to stand firm, breaking news that the news media is either afraid to touch, or WILL not touch due to their own agenda. Her columns are published on major news sites throughout the world as well as her website, Blessedcause.com  Ms. Shroder is also a woman of God who, like this writer, wants to see this country return to her original intent and roots. 

 Mel Gibson, the noted actor-director has been very much in the news recently with shots being fired at him from all directions. Those cannons on the hillsides were aiming at him from the moment it was learned that he was producing the film, The Passion of The Christ. The astonishing attacks began before anybody even saw his film, which, by the way, was and is sensational, and true, and he has been attacked with regularity since the film's release.  So some of the accounts of his current domestic squabbles could very well be exaggerated due to the hatred of him by the Marxists in Hollywood and the media.  Jen Shroder has written (and published) the very finest take on this situation of any writer anywhere. It is with Ms. Shroder's permission that her story is published on this website and my other sites, as it appeared in Renewamerica.com