Guilty Plea Entered

Today Ken Loyd entered a plea of "Guilty"  to not having blogged during the entire month of December (as of this writing).  This crime is only an internet misdemeanor in North Carolina, but can cause substantial damage to a blogger's credibility.

Loyd attempted to sway legal officials with a litany of excuses:

• "I was in Atlanta!" (hence, no computer available)
• "We were babysitting." (more fun than blogging)
• "I was sending out dozens of Christmas cards." (Yes, I DO know that many people!)
• "We were decorating for Christmas."  (yes, every waking hour since December 1!)

The chief prosecutor was unsympathetic, rattling off his counter-arguments without hesitation:

"Loyd should have been able to persuade his brother in Atlanta to spring for a decent computer and internet service by now.  And according to copies of his previous blogs that were subpoenaed, those grandbabies are smart enough to be writing the blogs for him at this juncture.  The excuse about cards was considered laughable by the court.  "NO ONE sends Christmas cards any more," they said.  "At least not like the one you sent the judge (an ill-considered joke about fruitcake serving as a doorstop).  And last of all, eye-witness observers cast doubt on Loyd's claim about hours spent decorating.  He was spotted hastily harvesting a somewhat pitiful "Charlie Brown" tree from beside his own driveway.  The same tree allegedly was visible through two windows shortly later.  His fence was carelessly slung with shabby plastic greenery and half-burned-out strings of lights.  The entire process could have been done by any reasonably competent person in one to two hours.  'The old place has never been a showcase, certainly not this year," one anonymous neighbor vented.  "Sort of reflects poorly on all Murdocksville."

Loyd received a suspended sentence upon promise of future blogging, a minimum of ONE before year's end, to be followed by others in a timely manner, at least some of which will be required to contain current grandbaby photos in addition to captions meeting or exceeding previous standards. 

Loyd was duly penitent and grateful for another chance.  "It could have been worse for me," he admitted.  "In early December I thought about reposting blogs from two or three years ago, when I only had four or five readers.  I could have shown old pictures of trips to Morrow Mountain, family get-togethers, old Christmas trees.  The casual reader wouldn't have noticed the repeats.  It wasn't integrity that stopped me-- I knew I could never explain the absence of babies in the pictures.  But things have a way of working out.  The court could have thrown the book at me.  Instead, I came clean and will have a chance to refurbish my somewhat sullied reputation as a prolific blogger.  I just don't know what I will blog about next.  But something will come to mind."