tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4512459226429046032024-03-13T22:54:18.473-07:00Of Scarecrows and ScotsThe writings of Barry Yelton, author of Scarecrow in Gray, a Civil War Novel and Season of the Crow, a novel of the Civil War Reconstruction eraUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-57628923210511778522018-01-22T12:28:00.001-08:002018-01-22T12:28:20.057-08:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">WAGY Radio Station<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">It’s
Beginnings and Early History<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Barry D. Yelton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> I had the great privilege of working
at WAGY radio from January 1963 to June of 1967. When I started I was all of 16 years old. A few years back we had a little reunion of former
announcers, DJ’s, and others from the “Old WAGY” before the FM band was sold, which occurred sometime in the 80’s I believe. That got
me to thinking about the history of the station. I did a Google search and could find almost
nothing about WAGY, except a Facebook page about the current AM operation still operating. It seemed to me that the
colorful history of the station should be at least partially told. It may have
value and meaning to the descendants of those who participated in its golden
age in the late fifties and sixties. I can only relate what I know (and remember
at age 71 in the year 2018) about those wonderful days working with some of the
best people I have ever known.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> The station was formed by G.T. “Uncle
Bud” Becknell and Hoyle Lovelace around 1958. They were business partners in a
radio and jewelry store in Forest City, NC and decided to get into the broadcasting business. Uncle Bud (I must call him
that because that is how everyone knew him and addressed him) was the general
manager of the operation. I saw Mr.
Lovelace only occasionally. He ran a
general store in Bostic, NC, where, as fate would have it, I bought my
wife-to-be her first FM radio in 1964, which we still own (and it still works).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The
People<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> My introduction to the station was through
my best friend, and third cousin, Johnny Medford. Johnny lived just down the road from the old
station (which is now a private residence) on what they currently call Old WAGY
Road. Somehow, he began to stop by the
station, and Uncle Bud offered him a job.
I believe he began as the early morning “janitor” and part time DJ.
Johnny and I were lifelong friends until his passing in December of 2014. He later became the station manager and was
an integral part of the operation. He left
there sometime around 1969, married, and ran a country store. During his time
there Johnny was known for his friendly demeanor, wry humor, and terrific radio
voice. He was a truly great individual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> As previously mentioned, Uncle Bud
was the general manager and the undoubted boss of the operation. When I was
there he was about fifty years old. He wore an old fashioned pencil thin mustache,
which I am told, he fashioned after his favorite performer, Tennessee Ernie
Ford. Uncle Bud was a household name at
that time. WAGY had the largest
listening audience in Rutherford County, and Uncle Bud’s morning show was the
most popular of them all. His homespun
way of talking, country humor, and jovial persona was popular with people and
the reason a great many of them tuned in each day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Uncle Bud was also a visionary. He saw the need for a water reservoir in
Rutherford County and I am told promoted the idea, though it did not go
anywhere. A severe drought a few years
back certainly made me think that it would have been an excellent idea, as
municipalities scrambled to keep from running out of water. He also talked about forming a cable TV
operation. At the time neither I nor
anyone else there even knew what that was. But
Uncle Bud could see that it had a future, though to what extent only time would tell. If he had had the resources of a Ted
Turner, who knows what may have happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Everyone loved Uncle Bud’s way of talking
and his country expressions. If you didn’t
know him you would think he was a simple country boy. Nothing could be further from the truth. In addition to being a visionary he was an
entrepreneur and a good businessman.
However, to the world he was Uncle Bud, the friendly voice on the radio
who repeatedly said things like “Good Old Rutherford County,” except it came out “Good ole Releford County.” I can hear him say it to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> His early morning show was one of
the most popular on the station. It
started out with a rousing rendition not of some country or bluegrass tune but
with “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey.”
Why he chose that as his theme song, I never knew. But I surmise that he
chose it simply because it was upbeat and he liked it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> WAGY in those days had a music/talk
variety format. One of the talk shows was “Swap and Shop.” People would call in with items to sell, items
or pets to give away, or items wanted. In those days there was not tape delay
and whatever the caller said, went right out over the airwaves. This led to a number of embarrassing and
sometimes hilarious exchanges. A lady
once called in with a couch for sale. She described the couch and gave a price
for it. Uncle Bud, in his country manner,
said, “Would ye euchre on it?” The lady
gasped and said, “Uncle Bud, I am a Christian.” And she hung up the phone. I hope she later realized that he meant was would
she negotiate the price. That was a word he used every day, but apparently she
was not clued in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> I hear a while back that years after
he sold the station and retired, he came to some sort of community event, and
no one knew who he was. I am told it made him very sad, and that makes me very
sad as well. Uncle Bud was the heart and soul of WAGY and later on you will see
what I mean. More than that, he was the voice of Rutherford County for many
years. His contribution to the culture, enjoyment, and well being of citizens
of that era deserves great respect and honor. It is a shame he never really
received that respect and honor later in life.
Lesser men have had statues dedicated to them in city squares.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Gerald “Pappy” Bedford was a full
time announcer who also developed a following at WAGY. Pappy had contracted
polio as a child (in the days before Dr. Salk’s vaccine). He was paralyzed from
the waist down and walked with the help of two special crutches which clamped
on to his lower arms with grips lower down for his hands. He literally walked
on his arms, and believe me no one could beat him at arm wrestling. He had a
unique way of talking, with a sort of halting annunciation, which made him unique
among the DJ’s and announcers there. His radio persona was always upbeat. In
person, he loved a good joke, laughed a lot, and poked fun at me every chance
he got. When I went there I was 16 and
he was 26. Pappy passed away a few years
ago. The last time I saw him was at the reunion in about 2012. He had begun
using a wheelchair, and someone helped him around. He treated me as an equal
and I always considered him my friend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Dave White was station manager
before Johnny took over. He was truly the golden voice of the station. I have never heard a better voice on the
radio. He was a local boy, who loved
music. He wrote a number of successful songs for people like Whisperin’ Bill
Anderson and others. When Bill Anderson came through the area, he sometimes
stayed with Dave and his wife. Dave later moved to Nashville to continue his
songwriting career. I understand he passed away at a young age from a heart
attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> He was always very nice to me though
he did give me a bit of a joshing when I combed my hair forward Beatle-style in
early 1964 (I soon reverted to my old plain haircut). Dave was a talented man. It is a shame he
passed away so young. If you Google his
name, you will find there was a singer-songwriter named Dave White who had some
commercial success. That is a different person altogether. I don’t know for sure if Dave of WAGY penned
any hits, but I know Bill Anderson, a huge star back then, thought a lot of
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Don Lovelace, Hoyle Lovelace’s son,
worked at the station, and I believe later bought it and operated it. I never was truly sure what Don did. I saw him rarely, but I believe he helped
with the management of the station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> There was an ad salesman and I
believe his name was Fred Blanton.
Always a snappy dresser and wore a hat.
He spent most of his time out getting business for the station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Joey Arrowood joined the staff later
and became the morning “janitor” and a part time DJ. Joey was a couple of years younger than
me. We were the kids at the station in
those days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Ms. Lou Haynes was the secretary
when I came to the station. She was there for a few years and later was
replaced by a lady whose name I cannot remember. Lou and her husband Herman
were members of Smiths’s Grove Baptist Church, where my family attended. Lovely
lady and always very nice to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> When I first came to WAGY, Cecil “Towhead”
Atchley had the morning janitor job. He
and Johnny Medford were seniors at Cool Springs High when I was a
freshman. By the time I came there, I
was a sophomore at the then new East High and they had both graduated. Towhead left shortly after I came there,
though I do not know where he went. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Station
Format<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> In 1963 the station’s format was music
variety and some talk, such as Swap and Shop, and a call in radio program I ran
for a while where students would call in with homework questions, which other students
would call in and try to answer. It was
a fun little program from 8-9 at night, during the Top 40 show. I would play a
song or two, and then take homework calls. One of the calls came in from Judy
Jackson in Cliffside, NC. We began talking
on the phone and I was taken with her sweet voice. We set up a blind date and
ended up getting married. We still are after over 50 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> The station’s morning would start
off with Pappy’s show from about 6 AM to 8 AM as I recall. He played mostly
country and bluegrass music. Uncle Bud came in around 8 AM and played music and
called around to different places in the county to get reports. He used to call
Mr. Tisdale at his store in Ellenboro for a regular call on the doings in that
community. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> The daytime programming was mostly
country and pop music, with different DJ’s.
I believe Dave White had the morning slot, and Johnny Medford the
afternoon slot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Of course the programming I remember
best was what I did after I graduated from being a morning janitor and phone
answerer. I started with Saturday nights
and Sunday mornings, the least popular slots for other DJ’s. I was in hog heaven because I got to play the
songs I wanted to, within the programming format of the hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Sunday mornings I literally started
the station up, and began the morning’s programming. I believe we started at
about 8 AM on Sundays, and of course it was mostly Christian music and
preaching. The Royal Quartet came in
around 8:30 for half and hour. Great
group, with some very talented singers, including one cousin of mine Ray Poteat
who sang bass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> At 9 AM the Echoes of Glory, an
African American gospel group came in and did a live show. They were great and I came to be friends with
them and to really appreciate and enjoy their joyful music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Later we have various preachers come
in and do a live sermon, and then there was recorded Christian music. My mother
used to come by on her way to Smith’s Grove with a couple of banana sandwiches
and a mason jar of chocolate milk. She knew were her little boy liked!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> I later progressed to doing
weeknight radio, which was my favorite slot. My friends at East and other
schools listened and called in their requests, which I tried dutifully to
fulfill (unless of course I could not stand the song they asked for and then I
might play it and I might not!). The
evening started at 6 PM with “Organ Melodies” which I could only barely
tolerate. It was old traditional music
performed on the organ by masters like Ken Griffin. I could appreciate their ability, but I did
not care for that type of music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> At 7 PM it was the “Gospel Music
Hour.” We played tunes by The Chuckwagon
Gang, The Happy Goodman Family, The Blackwood Brothers, the Lefevres, and
others. I especially liked a song called “Without Him” written by the 17 year
old Mylon Lefevre. That song has become
a classic and is now included in many Baptist Hymnals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> At 8 PM, my favorite hour began – “Top
40.” I had a theme song which had some
snappy organ riffs but I cannot remember the tune or the artist. The mid-sixties
were an exciting time. The British invasion came along and groups like The Beatles,
The Rolling Stones, The Who, and others brought a fresh new sound with tremendous
energy and unbelievable creativity. The
Americans answered the invasion with The Byrds (my personal all-time favorite),
Simon and Garfunkel, The Turtles, Bob Dylan, Jay and the Americans, the Mamas
and the Papas, and many others. I do not
believe there was before or has been since such a period of creativity in popular
music, and I truly try to be objective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Could there be a better job for an
18 to 19 year old than playing his generation’s music on the radio every
night? I did not know it at the time, but
it was the job that was the least like work of any I have ever had. Probably should have stuck with it, but
frankly I did not believe I was good enough to make the big time. Now we will never know! At least I do have the memories and they are
almost all good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> From 9 pm to 10 pm we had the show
that surely won the radio program alliteration award, “Platter Picks of the
Past.” We played older music from the
late fifties and very early sixties. It
was also a joy to host, but not like the Top 40 show. Pop music had pretty much moved past the doo
wop era, with the harmonizing groups and the crooners, though some of them hung
around through the mid-sixties. It was a
fun show and was very popular. On that
show people could write in requests for a number of songs, and we would play
six or eight of their favorites. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Fun
Facts about WAGY<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> WAGY was the only station in the
sixties in the area that had both a 1,000 watt AM transmitter and a 100,000
watt FM transmitter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> WAGY had a 300 foot radio tower built
behind the station, and late had a 300 foot tower built on top of Cherry
Mountain. Uncle Bud bought a jeep so he
could go up and work on the equipment there in bad weather.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> It was not unusual at night for me
to get calls from as far away as Ohio, Vermont, and Florida. That 100,000 watt FM
transmitter was what they call in the industry a real “blow torch.” It was
powerful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> Joey Arrowood drove a VW Beetle. I liked it so much I later bought one. One day, while he was on air, some friends
came over and while he was working, they manually turned it sideways in the
parking lot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> WAGY did not operate 24 hours. The AM side had to shut down at sundown each day due to overlapping signals after dark. The FM side signed off at 11 PM each night. It was my duty to close out with the national anthem, and then carefully power down the transmitter. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> More later, as I remember it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-91179200965846150382015-08-11T06:16:00.002-07:002015-08-13T06:05:19.000-07:00The Confederate Flag and Racial Strife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAcWGOnXw9w/VcuJpNTLJ_I/AAAAAAAAAaM/DWM_QcVbKso/s1600/23rd%2Bnc%2Bflag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="594" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UAcWGOnXw9w/VcuJpNTLJ_I/AAAAAAAAAaM/DWM_QcVbKso/s640/23rd%2Bnc%2Bflag.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A lunatic goes on a shooting binge and murders nine humble Christians in a church, and it's the flag's fault. I suppose the 9-11 terrorist attacks were Boeing's fault too. The correlation of the killings with the flag is an example of the twisted logic of the left. Because racists fly the flag, the flag is racist. That is the worse sort of inductive reasoning.<br />
<br />
Here is a major news flash; racists also fly the American flag. Lots of disreputable outfits like to wrap themselves in Old Glory; it is a sort of fig leaf for their twisted views.<br />
<br />
I have known a few real racists, and they would be racists if the flag never existed. I also have known a lot of people who like to fly the flag, use flag decals, or flag license plates. They absolutely mean no harm and are simply expressing regional pride.<br />
<br />
Let's get the skunk up on the table; the north won the war. Big deal, if the U.S. went to war with Mexico, guess who would win. A country with three times the population, ten times the manufacturing capacity, and one hundred times the shipbuilding capacity goes to war in earnest with the smaller of the two, guess who will win nine times out of ten. The larger country only loses if it quits and goes home, as we did in Vietnam.<br />
<br />
So the north wins, and it seems that some northerners just cannot stop dancing in the end zone over it. It is a fact that the south has been the object of scorn and ridicule for generations mainly because it lost the war. I find it pretty ridiculous that people who had absolutely no connection with the Civil War should gloat over the south's defeat. I once had a Canadian who had moved to the U.S. say, "You shouldn't have ticked us off," or something like that, in relation to the war. A Canadian for crying out loud. This is a small example of the mind numbing ignorance of the history of the war, an ignorance shared by the vast majority of Americans.<br />
<br />
Some southerners have such a resentment for that sort of treatment, that they fly the flag as a kind of defiant raised fist at gloating northerners. It has nothing to do with race. Others, such as CW re-enactors and heritage groups, use the flag as a symbol of respect for their forebears who fought hard and bravely on the side of the south. So where is the crime in that?<br />
<br />
The vast majority of the popular media, academia, and government, have jumped on the bandwagon to "ban the flag." A completely worthless exercise in self-gratification which will do precisely nothing to improve race relations. Hello, earth to flag banners, it will make NO difference, and may only exacerbate the problem. There is in fact now a hardening of some people on the issue. They feel every nut case group in the country can fly their weird flags with not a peep from anyone, and yet they cannot fly a flag that they revere.<br />
<br />
The leap of logic taken by so many on this issue makes them look absolutely ridiculous. Their pandering sophistry is disingenuous at best and purely malicious at worst. Time to learn some history and practice some tolerance, something the left has preached for years but somehow rarely practices.<br />
<br />
<br />
Confederate flag, racial strife, the South, Civil WarUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-45497514023772698272015-06-23T12:42:00.002-07:002015-06-26T09:21:31.721-07:00Confederate Flag DebateFirst of all, let's clarify that the flag flying beside the State House in Columbia, SC is NOT the flag of the CSA. It is a battle flag, usually flown by regiments in the Army of Northern Virginia and other Confederate armies as a guidon for troops to follow in battle.<br />
<br />
The flag has been appropriated by the scurrilous purveyors of racial hatred, much to the chagrin of honest people concerned with the brave heritage of the men who fought for the South. There were no slaves transported from Africa under the battle flag. The flag of St. Andrew's Cross was a flag flown in battle, pure and simple.<br />
<br />
Because the racist haters fly the flag, it has been besmirched and a stain put upon the honor of the good men who fought under it. Most of them owned no slaves, nor even cared about the issue. They fought because their country - their state - had been invaded. Before the war, one referred to their own state as their country. The U.S. was a union of sovereign states, not a nation divided into provinces. The world was a very different place and to impugn those people one hundred and fifty years later is as pernicious as it is presumptuous.<br />
<br />
We need better education in this country about the Civil War and its causes, the men who fought it, and the brutal and bitter aftermath. I deal with that subject in my new novel, Season of the Crow. The sanitized and politically correct history taught these days does a serious disservice to the young and the old. It is high time to focus on the hard cold facts, and less on political or social agendas.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-10622992316245895142015-05-26T10:46:00.000-07:002015-05-26T10:46:01.133-07:00Amazon Author PageHere is the link to my Amazon author page, which just went live.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1EvuMBt" target="_blank">Barry Yelton Amazon Author Page</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-81255376775991551022015-05-20T06:12:00.002-07:002015-05-20T06:12:54.197-07:00The Kingdom of Light<div class="MsoNormal">
Somewhere in that infinite unknowable Mind<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
came a thought<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
from eternity to eternity it came<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and was spoken<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and that which dwelt in majestic quiescence<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
became<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
in a roar<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
of flame<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
of wind<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
of water<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
of the solid earth.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until there was being<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
where before<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
was only knowing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And the small ones<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
weak and fearful<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
look up and see<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
with eyes of faith<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
across millennia.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we watch still<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
from a fishbowl<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the mysterious, moving, Majesty<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
beyond<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
with awe and transcendent wonder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
as we mark our days<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and pass our years<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
until we join<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
in discarnate reunion<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
there<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
where </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the universe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
intersects the infinite.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-35776018361832288412015-05-20T04:26:00.003-07:002015-05-20T04:26:39.653-07:00Season of the Crow is here!The book is now published and up on Amazon.com in the Kindle edition. The paperback edition will be available soon.<br />
<br />
Happy Reading!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-35290479344439266782015-04-22T11:05:00.001-07:002015-04-22T11:05:36.823-07:00Season of the Crow is coming soon!My new book, Season of the Crow, a sequel to Scarecrow in Gray, should hit the market within thirty days. Below is a draft of the cover art:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2y3KrDnusAI/VTfioe6zYnI/AAAAAAAAAX8/z15diLOUNUc/s1600/Season%2BCover%2Bfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2y3KrDnusAI/VTfioe6zYnI/AAAAAAAAAX8/z15diLOUNUc/s1600/Season%2BCover%2Bfront.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
I am very excited about it and I believe our readers will enjoy the story line, cast of characters, and the resolution.<br />
<br />
It will be on Amazon (hopefully) within thirty days.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-21417331147482311712015-02-23T05:47:00.001-08:002015-02-23T05:47:20.817-08:00Banning Religion From Public View<div class="MsoNormal">
An article I wrote back in 2006:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There has been a great deal of discussion in the media
recently about the celebration of Christmas in the public domain. Some have asserted that displays of the
Nativity scene and symbols such as the cross are religious and therefore have
no place on public property because of the Establishment Clause of the First
Amendment to the Constitution.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Establishment/Free Exercise clause of the First
Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” It is a two pronged statement that prohibits
an official state religion, like the Church of England, while clearly upholding
the right to religious practice and expression. The anti-religionists give the
broadest interpretation to the Establishment Clause, while the Free Exercise
component is viewed in the narrowest possible way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If federal, state or local governments were setting up
churches or other places of worship and encouraging or mandating people to
worship at the state church a religion would have been established. However allowing private groups or
individuals, including churches, temples or mosques, to utilize public spaces for
gatherings or religious displays should be no more considered the establishment
of religion than permitting a fifth grade art exhibit depicting “Mother Earth”
on Earth Day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To believe that such exhibits violate the Establishment
Clause is to take such a broad interpretation of it as to strain credulity. The
intent of the framers relative to the scope of the clause is evident since the same First Congress that proposed the
Bill of Rights also opened its legislative day with prayer and voted to
apportion federal dollars to establish Christian missions in the Indian lands.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my opinion, those earnest worshipers of the Establishment
Clause, who on other issues often look upon the Constitution as a “living,
breathing document,” are less concerned with the government establishing a
religion than they are with marginalizing those who actually have one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ACLU, which was established by a Marxist, amazingly seems
to battle even the most benign expressions of faith in the public square, such
as The Boy Scouts use of a public park, while at the same time vigorously defending
the rights of organizations such as NAMBLA, which advocates and promotes the
vilest crimes imaginable, citing “free speech.” I suppose the warm waters of
free speech end at the shoreline of religious expression. Hypocrisy never had a
more shining avatar.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is not simply a “War on Christmas” taking place in our
country. There is a more fundamental conflict of values in progress with underlying
agendas on both sides. The groups and individuals that TV commentator Bill
O’Reilly refers to as “secular progressives” are aggressively trying to remove
all expressions of faith from all public venues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They want “under God” removed from the Pledge of Allegiance.
They want “In God We Trust” removed from our currency. They want crèches, the Ten Commandments, and
Christian crosses removed from every public space. In short they want any evidence
of religious faith confined strictly to private property.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why should we care about this “culture war?” We should care
because by marginalizing Christianity in particular, the secular progressives
will move a step closer to their dream of an <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region> without God, Who demands
certain behavioral norms that inconveniently conflict with the laissez faire
moral attitudes of 21<sup>st</sup> century <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>. The ACLU and other radical
“progressive” organizations want to manipulate what <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region> sees and hears while
maintaining their imagined status as defenders of “free speech.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They know that if you marginalize God by confining religious
expression to private property you limit and diminish the message. By limiting
the message, your secular progressive message has less competition in the
public marketplace of ideas. They don’t want children to see a Nativity scene
on a courthouse lawn and be curious about the Child in the manger.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you limit religion to the private sector, then you have
less resistance to your goal of a Godless, faithless, libertine <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region> where
the only behavior not tolerated is the expression of faith in God. Nothing else
explains the rabidity with which the secular agenda is being pursued today,
after over two hundred years of mostly peaceful coexistence of government and
religion in our country. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The imaginary “wall of separation” between religion and
government does not mandate that religion be shoved out of public life. It
simply means what Jefferson and the other framers intended and that is the
prohibition of formal state religion - nothing more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The soothing words of those who see no problem banishing God
from public life, whether it is a cross on public property or the act of
wishing someone Merry Christmas at the mall, are calculated to make the average
American believe that all is well and that there is really no problem with
keeping religious expression strictly in the private arena. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They even try to foist upon us the canard that somehow
public expression of religious faith “cheapens and demeans” that faith.
Institutions like the ACLU and their fellow travelers, such as George Soros,
don’t spend tens of millions of dollars every year fighting public religious
expression and traditional values for nothing. They are cleverly hiding their
true intent, hoping that the apathetic majority won’t notice – until it is too
late.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-56765987058950966372015-02-11T09:19:00.001-08:002015-02-11T09:19:18.140-08:00The Season of The Crow is coming soon!I am very pleased and excited to announce that my publisher has finished the edits of my new book and it should be released by the end of March! Here is a brief synopsis:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
In the dark days following the
Civil War, a family of freed slaves makes an epic journey to find refuge in the
North Carolina mountains. They form an unlikely alliance with a former
Confederate soldier and his family to battle a vicious band of night riding
terrorists.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
A
seesaw war rages between the former Confederate and his allies and the
nigh triders culminating in a deadly battle on a rocky mountainside. The turmoil
of a nation’s bitterest conflict spills over into the postwar years as blacks
and whites alike struggle to survive a seething cauldron of hatred and
violence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
The book serves as a sequel to Scarecrow in Gray, but stands on its own as an exciting tale, with some twists and turns as well as gritty action and heart rending episodes. It follows the post war fictional life of Francis and Harriet Yelton and their friends. Set in western North Carolina, the book is steeped in the grim reality of reconstruction. It is clearly the best work this writer has done and I am excited to bring it to the reading public.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
Barry<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-44372198746089704542014-06-12T05:39:00.000-07:002014-06-12T05:41:25.964-07:00A Simple Question<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By Barry
Yelton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2014</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">why do you believe he asked?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">why do you not said I<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">because there is no reason to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">said he and science has not seen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">your god<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">in telescope or microscope or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">petri dish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and besides well known it is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">that once the big bang<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">caused all of this<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">you see<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">big bang i asked ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">big bang he said<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">you mean the one that sprang<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">from microscopic singularity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">yes he said<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">the one that exploded ancient and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">massive?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and accelerated all the dust <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and rocks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and building blocks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">of the universe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">at speed much greater<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">than that of light?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">yes he said<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">how i asked?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">why, science knows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">how?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">they do he said<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">they do asked i?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">they do<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">why i asked?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">why did it
happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">why was there a
singularity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">why is there
anything at all?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">because, he
said, there just is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">that’s not an
answer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">nor a reason,
said i<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">but it is all we
know<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">it just is, said
he<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">you mean we
don’t know?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">of course we
know<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">it just is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">that’s not an
explanation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">logic cries out
for an answer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and all you have
is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“it just is?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">yes, it just is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">you wear me out
with the question<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and why is that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">because there is
no answer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">there is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">only the eternal
could be<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">just because<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">matter could not<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">it had to be
created<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">it had to come
from somewhere<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">it came from God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">i still don’t
believe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">you don’t have
to<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-56945182849349414342014-05-31T17:45:00.002-07:002014-05-31T17:45:23.732-07:00Harvey Fagan Breaks Bad<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Harvey Fagan Breaks Bad</u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>by Barry Yelton</u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><u>Copyright 2011</u></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did I ever
tell you about old Harvey Fagan and Officer Fesco Bass? Well, it’s a real knee
slapper, and if you got time, I’ll relate the whole thing. It all happened on a
Saturday, back in about 1954, as I recall. There was a bunch of us hangin’ out
up town in Elm City, there near the Union Bank, where the town clock hangs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We was
standin’ around talkin’ about how much time President Eisenhower spends playin’
golf, and how purty that Marilyn Monroe is. Harvey had just got through pontificatin’
about how old Ike ought to be working on trying to figure out how to stop the
Communists in China, instead of “knockin’ that little white ball around,” and
had launched about the seventieth stream into the gutter, there in front of the
ice cream store, when up walks Officer Fesco Bass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it was
well known all over Elm City that Officer Bass had no use for anyone who hung
around uptown, blocking the sidewalks, and spittin’ tobacco juice into the
gutters. He maintained that the tax paying businesses of Elm City deserved to
have sidewalks free of loiterers and gutters free of tobacco spit. I’ll have to
say, Officer Bass was the picture of rectitude and civic mindedness, not to
mention he kept a clean uniform and the brightest, shiniest pair of patent
leather shoes a man ever saw. Some say you could shave yourself in the
reflection off those shoes and never miss a whisker!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was also
well known that Harvey had no use for Fesco, and quite frequently laughed at
him behind his back. Now it wasn’t that Fesco was a bad man at all. It was
just, well, that he was funny looking. You remember that fellow that played
Barney in the Andy Griffith Show? Well Fesco looked a bit like that, except not
as good looking, a little taller, and a might skinnier. It was worse that he
had thick lips, not unlike those on a bass fish. Frequently, when officer Bass
walked by, Harvey would suck in the sides of his mouth and make a sort of fish
face as he went on by, much to the amusement of the other fellows hanging
around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyhow, up
walks Officer Bass, twirling his baton. I figure he practiced that in a mirror at
least four hours a day, because he was sure good at it. The baton was a solid
blur as he spun it. He came up within about ten feet of where Harvey was
standin when Harvey launches this stream toward the gutter. It was short,
however, and landed at the edge of the curb and sort of puddled there. Officer Bass,
stopped abruptly and glared at Harvey with a look that would wither fresh
flowers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He took a
couple more slow steps toward Harvey, and, jutting out his lower jaw, pointed
at the puddle on the curb with a long, bony finger. “Harvey, how many times
have I told you that it is against the law to spit on the sidewalk? It’s bad
enough that you have to fill the gutters up with that germy filth in your
mouth, but it is a disgrace to this town for you to foul the sidewalks, and
right smack in front of the ice cream store too!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, I’m
right sorry, Officer Bass, but I was aimin’ at the curb and must not of taken
the windage into account.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s
Corporal Bass, now, Harvey. Chief Gudger done promoted me last week,” Fesco
said, with his chin up, his baton tapping lightly at the corporal’s chevrons on
his sleeve. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harvey
looked like he was going to choke on the chaw in his mouth. I could see him
fighting mightily to get himself under control, but it was a struggle indeed.
His big shoulders shook slightly as he fought down the laugh, and his face
turned a bright red. But, I must say, he controlled himself quite well, under
the circumstances, and simply said, “Well, congratulations...Corporal Bass.” I
thought sure the ‘baccer juice was going to shoot out his nose.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
Corporal looked mildly aggravated, and, pointing again at the puddle on the
sidewalk said, “I could give you a ticket for this, and it would cost you five
dollars, but I’m gonna overlook it this once since you said you was aimin’ at
the gutter. So help me, if this ever happens again, Harvey, the wrath of Elm
City’s police force is goin’ to come down on your head, and it won’t be pretty!
You got that?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yes, sir,”
said Harvey, with as much humility as he could muster. “I shore won’t do ‘er
again, no sir.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fesco
glared at Harvey briefly, and then walked casually away, twirling the baton. I desperately
made signs at Harvey, tryin’ to get him not to do it, wavin’ my arms, makin’
the time out sign, and all, but he did it anyway. He made the fish face behind
Fesco’s back. He sucked those fat cheeks in and made that silly little fish
face, lips workin’ up and down, right at Fesco’s back. Tobacco juice rolled
prodigiously out the sides of his mouth, but he didn’t pay it any mind. The
other fellows standing around proceeded to hee-haw loud enough to wake the
dead. Arthur Jones doubled over he laughed so hard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fesco wheeled
around, and though Harvey tried to lose the fish face, Fesco was too quick and
caught him in the act, lips workin’ up and down and all. The laughter stopped.
It was like a cloud went over the sun. Harvey’s fish face froze in place; a
couple of drops of tobacco juice rolled slowly down his Big Smith overalls.
Fesco whipped out his baton from its holster like a cavalry sabre, and walked
slowly back toward Harvey.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Just what
do you fellows think is so funny?” he asked, though the question answered itself.
Harvey’s fish face gradually faded back into his regular round, fat-man’s face,
and he sort of tilted his head and raised his eyebrows as if to say, “I don’t
know.” But, he did know, and so did Fesco. Fesco wasn’t a genius, but he had
graduated twenty-third in his high school class, and he figured out pretty
quick what was going on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He waived
the baton at Harvey. “I’m changin’ my mind about that ticket,” he said, as he
strode toward Harvey. “I’m writin’ that ticket and you’re gonna pay the town of
Elm City the sum of five dollars or spend three nights in jail.” He pulled out
his ticket book and began to write.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harvey’s
face grew redder by the minute. For one thing, Harvey couldn’t stand Fesco. For
another, he was as tight a tightwad as ever lived, and for him to even think of
parting with five greenbacks was just about more than the man could stand.
Harvey stood there about eight feet from Fesco, workin’ his jaw. Over and over,
he worked that jaw. All of a sudden, it came to me. I knew what Harvey was about
to do. I almost had it out of my mouth to say “Harvey don’t do it” when Harvey
went and did it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harvey had
worked up a monumental slug of juice, and, rearing his head back, and then
bringing it forward, he launched it toward Fesco. Now I have seen a lot of
tobacco juice expelled over the years, especially on the street and in the
barber shop in Elm City. Many tobacco chewers pride themselves on being able to
hit a spittoon at ten or twelve feet. I have seen the best, but never have I
seen such a stream as issued from Harvey Fagan’s mouth that Saturday in 1954.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time seemed
to slow down, like it does in the movies sometimes. The stream came from his
mouth like a fountain and hung in the air, a blur of gleaming amber in the
sunlight. It’s a crying shame that the moment couldn’t have been captured on
film, because it was one for the ages. It sort of arced up, shone briefly in
the sunlight, and then came right down and splattered the toe of the Corporal’s
right shoe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everybody
froze. Harvey worked his jaw once, and then a tight little smile crossed his
face, as he stood there defiant as all get out. Fesco’s mouth dropped open, and
then he slowly looked down at his shoe. I have to say, it was as sorry a sight
as I ever saw, that shiny black shoe absolutely bathed in tobacco juice. It ran
off the sides and made a sad little puddle on the sidewalk.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fesco stood
staring at the shoe for what seemed several minutes, though it surely couldn’t
have been that long. Then, I thought maybe Fesco was havin’ a stroke or something,
because he sort of sputtered and stammered some words that nobody could make
out. Arthur pointed at the shoe and begin to laugh. Harvey lifted his chin up
real proud like, and though he didn’t say it, he seemed to be sayin’, <i>How’d ye like that ‘un, boys!” <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fesco
finally found his voice. He waved the baton in Harvey’s face and yelled, “You
done assaulted a officer of the law!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harvey worked
up an outraged face and said, “With baccer spit?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fesco
tapped Harvey on the chest with the baton. “It don’t matter. It was the intent
that counts, accordin’ to the law.” Fesco’s face was getting’ real red. Now I
was worried that he really would have a stroke. The baton trembled in his hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harvey
wasn’t smilin’ now; he knew he was in trouble. I could see it on his face, like
a little cloud came over it, and where he was grinnin’ and all proud of the
stream before; now he was sore worried he had gone a little too far. His eyes
shifted around as if looking for a way out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fesco
reached behind his back and pulled the handcuffs off his shiny black belt.
“You’re goin’ to the pokey, mister,” he says, his teeth gritted real tight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I
reckon Harvey didn’t take to goin’ to jail. He spent a night there two years
before, when he was drunk and was singin’ “Old Folks at Home” real loud on the
town square on a Saturday afternoon. He didn’t like it one little bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
What happened next was absolutely amazing. I
never knew a fat man could move that fast, and him almost fifty years old too.
He spun on his heel and took off down Main Street at a dead run, his overalls
floppin’ all around. Fesco stood for a minute with his mouth dropped open,
again, and then he begun what they call a hot pursuit. Down Main Street goes
Harvey and Fesco, their feet slappin’ the sidewalk and Fesco yellin’, “Halt,
police!” You could hear it from one end of town to the other, people comin’ out
of the stores to see what the excitement was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of
us boys looked at each other, and then, as with one mind, we all took off after
Harvey and Fesco, because we wanted to see how this would turn out. So here we
go, Harvey in the lead, face red and sweat a rollin’; Fesco runnin’ behind him,
his knees near up to his chest and bony arms pumpin’ hard. The three of us come
runnin’ along behind. I sorta took the lead, because Arthur and Frank was bad
out of shape, and lacked the motivation I had. I <i>really </i>wanted to see how this would turn out!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Folks on
the street stopped what they was doin’ and watched this strange parade movin’
up main street. For some reason, Harvey decided to cross the street and run the
other way; so Fesco follows, yelling, “Halt, police, stop!” and all that kind
of thing. I could see Harvey was slowin’
down, and Fesco was catchin’ up. Harvey was a big man, to put it kindly. In
fact, he probably tipped the scales at near three hundred pounds, and there
wasn’t much muscle on him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyhow, it
seemed Harvey had him an idea. He crossed the street again at the square and
went into the little park in the middle. Elm City had a real nice little park
right in the middle of town, with some nice fir trees, and bushes, and a little
fountain in the middle of a round pool, which was surrounded by a wrought iron
fence. That was to keep the kids (or somebody like Harvey) from wading in it.
Harvey ran around to the opposite side of the fountain from Fesco. When Fesco
would start around one way, Harvey would run in the other direction. Every time
Fesco changed direction, Harvey would too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back and
forth it went, until Fesco had himself an idea. He was determined to get his
hands on Harvey, so he takes a runnin go and jumps over the wrought iron fence,
and into the fountain. Then he goes splashin’ across real fast. Harvey was sort
of froze in place; he never figured on this! I must say I have never seen a more
determined look than Fesco had on his narrow little face that day. Why he
leaped over the fence on the other side, before you could say skat. Harvey come
to himself and turned to run, but it was too late. Fesco leaped on Harvey’s
back, meanin’ to take him to the ground. Unfortunately for Fesco, a one hundred
and thirty pound man is always goin’ to have a hard time takin’ a three hundred
pound man to the ground.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It looked
for all the world like Harvey was takin’ Fesco for a piggy back ride! Fesco had
Harvey around the neck with both arms. Harvey was spinnin’ and flailin’, tryin’
to get Fesco off. Fesco was shifting around tryin’ to take Harvey to the
ground. A crowd began to gather. In
fact, it was the biggest crowd I had seen in Elm City since the fire truck
caught on fire several years before. Now that was a sight to be seen. But this
one took the cake.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, Fesco
figured this had gone on long enough, so he let loose with his right arm and
swung the baton down on Harvey’s head, with a little whack. Now Harvey didn’t
take much to pain, and he was wore out, so he sort of sat down on the ground.
When he went down Fesco went with him, but Fesco’s shiny belt got caught on one
of the wrought iron fence spikes. Then, somehow Harvey got his second wind. He
got up and took off again! Fesco flailed and struggled, but couldn’t get loose
and all he could do was watch Harvey run down the street, stoppin’ every now
and then and grabbin’ his side, then runnin’ on about as fast as a fat man can
run. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was
the last time we ever saw Harvey, him a runnin’ down Main Street in Elm City,
overalls floppin’ and sweat flyin’. The sound of his brogans hittin’ the
pavement faded away in the late afternoon air. It got so quiet around the fountain;
you could have heard a pin drop. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some say Harvey
moved over to Frog Level. Some say he left the state. All I know is that Fesco
gave any and all tobacco chewers a wide berth from that day on, and that’s the
truth with my hand up.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-66601269041333154622014-05-05T05:32:00.002-07:002014-05-05T05:32:29.024-07:00Formation of Yelton Capital NetworkI am pleased to announce that I have just formed a new financial advisory and placement firm, Yelton Capital Network, LLC. Here is a summary of the services we offer:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;">Yelton Capital Network provides capital acquisition and advisory services for small to medium sized companies nationwide. We assist companies in finding asset based loans, equipment loans, real estate loans, healthcare loans, factoring services, unitranche funding and other sources of capital. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;">Through a network of thousands of lenders and financial professionals, YCN brings new efficiency to the capital marketplace. From $500,000 to $50 million in funding, Yelton Capital Network can provide the financing to fuel almost any viable business in the U.S. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;">With almost forty years of lending experience working with billions in funding requests, Managing Partner Barry Yelton has the expertise, contacts, experience, and integrity to assist companies in their search for capital. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;">We use a proactive effort, exclusive contacts, and technology to make the search for funding a simple process. We work primarily on contingency, so the borrower owes nothing until they have financing acceptable to themselves. Other services, such as loan package preparation, are available a negotiated rates.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;">Visit our website! <a href="http://yeltoncapitalnet.com/" target="_blank">Yelton Capital Network</a>.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-60078575542422701732014-03-04T05:39:00.001-08:002014-03-04T05:39:24.817-08:00The Season of The Crow is in progressThe sequel to Scarecrow in Gray is about 80% complete. I hope to have it finished and ready for publication by late Summer.<br />
<br />
Please stay tuned. If you liked Scarecrow in Gray, I believe you will enjoy the new book even more. It is much more textured, with more intertwining story lines, and overall I believe it to be a better work. However, that will ultimately be for the reader to decide.<br />
<br />
I have been very pleasantly surprised at the praise Scarecrow in Gray received, and still receives. It is of course still in print and still selling at a modest level.<br />
<br />
I sincerely appreciate everyone who has read Scarecrow, and On Wings of Gentle Power, my little poetry book with photos by Al Past. It is humbling and gratifying to know that one has produced something that gives pleasure to others, and hopefully some meaning and understanding to what we call the Civil War.<br />
<br />
I will provide updates as publication nears for The Season of the Crow.<br />
<br />
God bless.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-85563390712815565642013-11-11T14:28:00.001-08:002013-11-14T11:43:45.053-08:00Which is Most Dangerous, Big Corporations or Big Government?<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
Liberals like to assail “big corporations” as evil, mindless, greedy, etc. While big government is sort of like a teddy bear, warm and cuddly, and like a rich uncle who spoils you with good things. These notions are underpinnings of left wing thought, and not only are they erroneous, but they are dangerous as well. So let’s do a little factual comparison of “big government” versus “big corporations.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
First is ownership and control, because he who owns ultimately controls. For big corporations ownership is almost invariably spread among literally millions of small shareholders, who either own their publicly traded stock directly, or who own them through a mutual fund in their 401K or IRA, or own them through investments by their pension fund; so big corporations are owned by the people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
Theoretically big government is owned by the people as well, since we pay the taxes that support it. Our control is dependent on the government <i>acknowledging</i> that the people are in control, not the President or Congress. However, once the government official is elected, he cannot easily be replaced for at least two years in the case of the House, four years in the case of the President, and six years in the case of the Senate. So control is sporadic, unlike a corporation, we cannot simply sell the stock and move on to invest in another corporation. We are stuck with government we have, and the larger it becomes, the more control it exerts over our lives until freedoms disappear one by one and tyranny takes their place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
Which brings us to the issue of control over our lives. I will be the first to agree that many corporate CEO’s are grossly overpaid, especially those whose company’s stock is tanking and/or is experiencing losses under his or her leadership. No doubt about it! However, if I don’t like the way a company is being run, and I am an owner, I can sell my stock (perhaps at a loss) and move on to another one – a choice I am always free to make.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
The government, however, is another story. The take over of healthcare insurance is just one example of how government can poke its ugly nose into your business, like it or not. Millions of people, most of whom probably voted for the current occupant of the White House, are shocked and stunned to learn that the insurance they once had, and were quite happy with, has been taken away. In its place they are now forced to purchase more expensive insurance that meets what Uncle Sam deems to be minimum standards. Huh? We cannot buy a product unless the government deems it to be adequate by its own exalted decision? If this is not tyranny of a sort, I don't know what is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
Not only are they (incompetently) forcing this down our throats, they are using OUR taxpayer money to promote it. Worse, they have spent over one half of a billion dollars to create a web site, which doesn't work. They had over three years to get it right and still it is a colossal dud! Government efficiency at its best. And of course if you are young and healthy and choose not to buy insurance, the government is going to penalize you. The spineless Supreme Court, led by turncoat Chief Justice Roberts, approved this unconstitutional move by calling it a tax. I suppose next speeding tickets will be a tax, or expired tag penalties, etc.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Banks and other big corporations have no leverage over us as individuals, unless we freely give it to them. The same cannot be said of big government. Big government has what is known as “police powers.” In other words they can force you to pay taxes, obey the speed limit, and any other number of things, most of which are for the collective good. However, big government tends to poke its nose increasingly into the affairs of people as it grows larger. Most of the time this is well intentioned if sometimes misguided. However, the risk becomes that the larger the government is, the more dangerous it potentially becomes to its citizens.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The warm and fuzzy government of today can become the tyrannous fascism of tomorrow. Just ask the Germans, Russians, the Japanese, the Italians, the Chinese and countless other unfortunates who have fallen under tyranny’s sway, where free speech is forbidden and bucking “the state” can be a capital offense. No corporation, repeat, no corporation can take away your freedom. Big government can.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So which is the most dangerous, the big corporation or big government. The answer is obvious to rational people, which by definition excludes the radical left which now controls the Democratic party and the Presidency. Time to wake up and make a change.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-18532560502245383762013-10-30T14:43:00.002-07:002013-10-30T14:43:43.382-07:00My Old FriendSome of you may wonder at the picture of the fellow at the top of this blog. He was my good friend, adviser, colleague, and hiking buddy before his passing on March 7, 2009. His name was Arthur H. "Bud" Wilson. He was a few years older than me and retired from a successful career in the corporate world, living life as he pretty well pleased.<br />
<br />
Married and divorced twice, he was a committed bachelor. We co-founded the National Funding Association together, a financial networking group which merged with the Commercial Finance Association in 2012. I leave his name and the picture of him hiking in the Black Mountains as a sort of memorial to a truly memorable man.<br />
<br />
He was a fitness buff, woodsman, canner of food, great hiker, association leader, and investor. I don't know if he was "the most interesting man in the world" as a beer commercial describes its lead character, but he was an interesting individual. He was always great to talk with, bounce ideas off of, and to just shoot the breeze.<br />
<br />
He loved backpacking and he taught me much about the art, hazards, and beauty of the sport. It is truly a way to experience nature like no other - just a good walk in the woods, mountains, or desert with no aim in mind except, as Bud would put it, "wilderness travel."<br />
<br />
He was a man of strong opinions and long time friendships. He could be hard nosed when one disagreed with him, but his loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.<br />
<br />
One does not have many true friends in this life, and when you lose one, it hurts. I noted when they held visitation at the funeral home, those most affected, outside his family, seemed to be his hiking buddies. They were the ones who shared the joys and the hardships of the trail, and had the time to get to know him away from the noise and clutter of everyday life. That's why Bud Wilson's picture and dates of life are at the top of this page. He was one of a kind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-22112920672658803772013-10-28T09:47:00.001-07:002013-10-28T09:47:38.903-07:00<b>Songs to Remember?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I have always been and still am a big fan of good music of all descriptions, from Johnny Cash to Bach, from Jimi Hendrix to Percy Faith, from The Who to Enya. I stand in awe of the artistry, creativity, and beauty that these and others bring to the art of music.<br />
<br />
I recently watched a "docudrama" on a cable channel about the sad story of Phil Spector, a brilliant but very troubled individual, who was convicted in the killing of a young woman at his home. He was the creator of the "Wall of Sound" music production technique that won great acclaim in the early sixties and made stars of people like Ronnie Spector and The Righteous Brothers. TRB's "You've Lost That Lovin's Feeling" still reigns as the most played song on the radio in history with over seven million airings.<br />
<br />
The film opened with The Righteous Brothers' version of "Unchained Melody." I was stunned again at the incredible beauty of the melody, and the soaring vocals of Bobby Hatfield, the tenor half of TRB. His range was simply stupendous and his handling of the lyrics and melody were transcendent. Since I saw the Spector film, that melody has played in my head a thousand times.<br />
<br />
I researched it and learned that it was a song written for an obscure prison movie called "Unchained." It later became known as "Unchained Melody." As a writer, the title to me seems a clever double entendre, since I always took it to mean that the melody itself was unchained and free to soar like the eagles. Whether or not that double meaning was intended, the song certainly deserves the appellation. In my opinion it is truly one of the most beautiful and evocative melodies ever written, lending substantial power to its simple lyrics.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I am a big fan of the song, and rank it up there with other great songs. Here is a list in no particular order or genre that I think are the very best. What do you think?<br />
<br />
O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Author Unknown<br />
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel<br />
Canon - Pachelbel<br />
Watermark - Enya<br />
Gettysburg (Movie Theme) - Randy Edelman<br />
<br />
I am sure I will think of others, or they will simply come into my mind like phantoms in the night and gently guide me back to their unique and colorful world.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-51779409108418882492013-10-02T14:01:00.001-07:002013-10-02T14:05:35.791-07:00<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of Mice and Men and Government Shutdowns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know it may come as a terrible surprise to many, but there are worse things than a partial government shutdown. I am sure there will be some inconveniences, and perhaps some will be more severe than merely not getting to hike in the Pisgah National Forest. However, I for one have noticed no difference in my daily life. Have you? I would love to hear it if you have. I doubt seriously that more than 1% of Americans felt any change at all (except of course federal government employees in "non essential" positions). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The upside is we are actually saving some money. The normal operating costs of many of these non-essential services is temporarily on hold. Heaven knows, we could use a break. With a $3.8 Trillion dollar budget and an almost $17 Trillion federal debt, the poor, over-burdened tax payer desperately needs some relief! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the notorious sequester? You mean the government cannot operate with 2-3% less in revenue? They sure thought the working taxpayers could when they raised the payroll tax 2% at the beginning of the year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All these government "services" are not free. Sure, they may be free to those who do not work for them, but somebody has to pay. That somebody is the taxpayer and most of us are a little sick and tired of being soaked here and there by every government agency coming and going.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is a list of taxes Americans pay, put together by goodcitizen.org:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Accounts Receivable Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Building Permit Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Capital Gains Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">CDL license Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cigarette Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Corporate Income Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Court Fines (indirect taxes)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dog License Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Federal Income Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fishing License Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Food License Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fuel permit tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hunting License Tax</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Inheritance Tax Interest expense</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(tax on the money)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Liquor Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Local Income Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Luxury Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Marriage License Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Medicare Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Property Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Real Estate Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Septic Permit Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Service Charge Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Social Security Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sales Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recreational Vehicle Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Road Toll Booth Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">School Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">State Income Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone federal excise tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone federal universal service fee tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone state and local tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Telephone usage charge tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Toll Bridge Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Toll Tunnel Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Traffic Fines (indirect taxation)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Trailer registration tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Utility Taxes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vehicle License Registration Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vehicle Sales Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Watercraft registration Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well Permit Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Workers Compensation Tax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of these are very small taxes, and some, like the federal income tax, are substantial. At some point there has to be a taxpayer revolt. The TEA Party folks are getting a start on this. For too long the takers in society, the Washington elite, and others have had their way, raising taxes and fees and spending like drunken sailors. Wait, it's worse than that. When drunken sailors run out of money, they quit spending. The government does not. It's like the great Ronald Reagan once said, "Government is like the alimentary canal of a baby, with an insatiable appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is past time for a change.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-49675439522308835682013-10-01T06:17:00.002-07:002013-10-01T06:17:57.166-07:00<b>My Woeful Neglect</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Among all the various tasks any busy human undertakes, there is always it seems (at least in my experience) one area which, while important, remains set aside like some valuable antique of great value but which by time and exposure becomes more of a relic than a useful object. Such is my blog, which has always been important, but yet now has been neglected yet again, set aside for more pressing business, or so such business seems.<br />
<br />
I will endeavor to be more diligent (shouldn't be too hard given the level of diligence in the past year) and hopefully provide insights, information, writings, etc. that will hopefully enlighten, entertain, and uplift the reader. It appears that readership of this blog is better than it was a year and a half ago, when I still posted semi-regularly. That is encouraging. I will try to make it worth your while.<br />
<br />
It has been said that bloggers must blog. So be it. Here's to more regular verbal interlocution. Comments are always welcome.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
BY<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-33514708559938104622012-05-17T08:00:00.001-07:002012-05-17T08:00:12.541-07:00Insightful Article by Tony Schwartz<br />
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This truly sums up one of the dilemmas of the age - information overload combined with technology dominance.</div>
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I highly recommend you read this. Here is the link - <a href="http://bit.ly/L9TOKX.">http://bit.ly/L9TOKX.</a></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-79738824843966913542012-05-07T10:33:00.002-07:002012-05-07T10:42:07.461-07:00Is Christianity Really, Really for Real?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The factors that answer the question for me most clearly
have to do with the behavior of Christ’s followers, before and after his
crucifixion. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, his followers
scattered like scared rabbits. Peter followed cautiously at a distance while
the temple soldiers took him to the home of the high priest for a mock trial
that was itself illegal according to Jewish law.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Peter then proceeded to deny he even knew Jesus – three times,
just as the Savior had predicted. He then left the courtyard and the scriptures
say he wept bitterly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of the remaining eleven disciples, minus Judas, the
betrayer, who hanged himself, were likewise “unavailable for comment” while
Christ was being beaten, brutally interrogated, and abused. The disciples were strangely absent from the
narrative when Christ was taken before the Roman authorities and reluctantly
sentenced to death by crucifixion by the notorious Roman Governor Pilate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even as Christ was crucified, the Bible indicates that they
watched “from afar off.” They clearly did not want to be implicated and maybe
face the same fate as Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why then, their sudden change of heart? Why did they become the soldiers for God who
willingly suffered abuse, humiliation, imprisonment, torture, and cruel deaths
for the sake of a crucified Savior?
Either something happened that set fire to their very souls after the
crucifixion or they were all nuts. No other explanation fits. The likelihood
that they were all insane is of course slim and remote. These were intelligent
people. They knew what they were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What then about the apostle Paul? He persecuted Christians,
throwing them into prison and was an accessory to their murders, all in the
name of his religion. He was feared among the fledgling Christian community for
his zeal and his ruthlessness. Then something happened on the road to Damascus,
and he became arguably the greatest missionary who ever lived and a man who
wrote a large part of the New Testament. Why? What sort of thing could
logically happen to turn a committed Jew one hundred and eighty degrees in the
other direction?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe the answer of course in all these instances is
that they had an encounter with the risen Christ. Nothing else answers nor
makes the slightest sense in the radical transformation that occurred in each
of their lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Is Christianity for real?
I cannot answer the question for you. You must answer the question for
yourself. However, I can testify to what I have seen and what I know. I can
apply logic and reason, and arrive at the conclusion that there is no other
reason Christ’s followers would have been so radically transformed other than
that he rose from the dead. From scared mice scattering in all directions after
Jesus’s crucifixion, to powerful expounders of the gospel. From despised
persecutor of the early church, to committed follower of Christ. They all
clearly encountered a fundamentally transformational event. They met the risen
Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-2035954487630071532011-11-02T05:47:00.001-07:002011-11-02T05:49:10.823-07:00<br />
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<b><u>Rebirth<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Copyright 2009</span></u></b></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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While the sun still lies in repose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
just below
the rim of the rested earth<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and stars yet dot the sky, winking eyes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
watching
with care their fading domain<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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God’s hand revolving the world with ease<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
breaks the
dawn but the stars persist<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
in their shining as if asking “let us stay.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But God has plans for a new day and<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
the
crescent moon on the cobalt winter sky<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
smiles shyly and fades along with the stars<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and God’s
new day is born without weeping<o:p></o:p></div>
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-7354196566527993792011-09-12T13:36:00.000-07:002011-09-12T13:36:25.165-07:00SeasonsPoor blog. Lost and lonely, sitting there neglected for months on end. Here I am again, better late than never they say.<br />
<br />
A lot has happened in recent months. I lost a brother-in-law, Dennis, to something called pulmonary fibrosis. It is a wicked disease that comes from inhaling asbestos and other troublesome things from the air in power plants and similar places. <br />
<br />
My daughter Christi was diagnosed with breast cancer and has had a radical mastectomy. She is chipper and hopeful, and about to start a round of chemotherapy. It is tough duty for a dad to watch his daughter go through this, tough indeed.<br />
<br />
Life is like that, you know. You go along happy as a clam, then wham the roof caves in. That's when you have to call on your faith, if you have it. Thank goodness, I do. <br />
<br />
Work continues at a snail's pace on the sequel to Scarecrow in Gray. The Season of the Crow is very slowly taking shape and is, in my opinion, a much better work. I suppose when publication day comes, hopefully next year, we shall see if the readers and reviewers agree.<br />
<br />
I shall try to do better, old blog, and old friends. Until next time, hold your loved ones close. You just never know.<br />
<br />
Cheers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-30442596960001128972011-01-12T18:48:00.000-08:002011-01-12T18:53:56.334-08:00New Bakery!Under the category shameless family promotion, my chef daughter Christi has a new bakery and catering business in Columbia, NC. You can check out her website at <a href="http://www.sliceofheavencolumbia.com/">www.sliceofheavencolumbia.com</a>. She makes all sorts of tasty concoctions and will cater small to large events. <br /><br />The site is still a work in progress, but she is open and ready for business. Way to go Chris!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-6708893621095029402010-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:002010-11-19T15:26:08.638-08:00Still LifeThe gleam of a small lamp<br />illuminates the quiet room.<br />The darkness beyond the walls<br />forms another wall, then another<br /><br />The old man sits and stares<br />at the past with eyes wet<br />from weeping.<br /><br />The scenes that roll through his mind<br />some sad, some happy, are all that<br />remain of the life gone by<br />like a vapor.<br /><br />And all around the world moves on<br />with dancing, and laughing,<br />and war, and buying and selling,<br />and loving and hating,<br />and all that is important<br />for a moment,<br />for a brief and vanishing moment.<br /><br />No matter to the old man,<br />having seen and done<br />and thought<br />and remembered.<br /><br />Daylight fades, again,<br />as it always has does will<br />and with it fading recollections<br />collective electrical disturbances<br />in his aging brain only<br />less than <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">dissipated</span><br />already gone<br />only remembered<br />for a breath<br />until that too<br />is gone<br />quietly.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-451245922642904603.post-45301228454155320492010-10-07T15:51:00.000-07:002010-11-19T15:15:38.415-08:00Missing the High Country<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ATIosvbtGqI/TK5R94NgEeI/AAAAAAAAAFI/S6AtaIXqAjk/s1600/DSC00018.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525443916333060578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ATIosvbtGqI/TK5R94NgEeI/AAAAAAAAAFI/S6AtaIXqAjk/s320/DSC00018.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Since my old hiking buddy and good friend, Bud Wilson, passed away, I have not had even the hope of taking a weekend hike in the Western NC mountains. I miss those craggy peaks, those windswept hills where life is put in its proper place. There is no room for ego there, nor worry, or anxiety. There is only putting one foot in front of another, looking for the next water source, and finding a good place to make camp.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Then, settling down around the fire, eating a basic meal from a can, every muscle, nerve, and sinew relaxes. You rest to the sound of the crackling fire and gaze at the starry canvas. It gets cool at night in the mountains, and you slide on your jacket, watching the fire worry itself down.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Then to settle into your sleeping bag, where it's warm and quiet. You may hear the wind ripple your tent fly as it sweeps over the mountain. Quiet and warm and relaxed in nature's bower. Sleep comes easy, and your dreams fly away miles toward the sky.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I surely miss it and hope someday I can find another old geezer, slow poke hiker to wander the ragged hills of Caroline.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0