Not to Be Political, But...

Let's see where we are in terms of 2012's Presidential Election. There's the re-election of Obama. Some folks think it's an impossibility, but not being properly vetted, made it possible for this poor excuse of a human being to be elected in the first time, so the saying goes, if you voted FOR him to prove you aren't a racist, vote against him this time to prove you're not a total idiot. And hey, voting for McCain last time was voting for Obama-Light. Don't know what the Viet Cong did to that man's brain when he was a POW, but it has the same effect as Obama's being brought up by America-hating Marxist-Socialist-Communists. So, no doubt we'd not be in as bad a shape with McCain, but we'd just be going down the toilet slower.

So, those running against. Perry. Friend of Al Gore. That's scary enough. Says Social Security has turned out to be a Ponzy Scheme. Very true and courageous, but Dems get nervous at that false accusation that keeps coming up from the playbook over and over. Too scary at this point.

Romney. Mormon. Enough to disqualify for me, but had his OWN form of Obamacare that was a disaster. No way I'd support Romney.

Ron Paul. I know folks who swear by him who with that exception have brains. No, when you say Iraq should be allowed to have nuclear weapons, you've pretty much have joined looney tune briggade.

I like Herman Cain. All that he's said, all that he's stood for, with one, nervous exception. He was part of the banking system in Kansas City. The Fed, I in no way trust. Just a cartel of bankers in their own interest. Scary

Of everyone, though, Cain makes the most sense, but no telling what will happen.

Memories (Pressed Between the Pages)

The world of karaoke is sort of an experiment in democracy music style. Everyone has their personal likes/dislikes and quirks. There is an over-abundance of very talented singers who would put the corporate pablum on the radio to shame in ALL genres. There's your occasional tone deaf person, the one who because of alcohol or some other reason always runs one line behind in the song. There's even music that isn't even music at all, but a series of phrases in time to a repetitious series of samples jumbled whatever.

There are things that drive people nuts, but they keep coming. It's like church or ball games or whatever. At church Eula may will ask you to "pray for me while I render this here song" at church and people say bless her heart under their breath and your team doesn't always win. So there you go.

One of my pet peeves is singing the same song over and over week to week and not learning or singing something else.

In that spirit, I was asked last night to repeat a song I did the previous week and I offered to sing a similar song instead. This turned out to be serendipidous. The song requested was "Can't Help Falling in Love" which by the way, nationally is the single most requested Elvis Presley song and "Suspicious Minds" follows. I offered to, instead sing, "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and did so. It was toward the end of the night and my final song. I was saying my good-byes to people and had leaned over this fence to speak to someone when an older lady turned around and said, "Thanks for all the memories" and told me she had lost her husband and that that movie "Blue Hawaii" was an integral part of their lives together. Ah romance. So lacking today, but there's a generation who could teach us a thing or three!

Tried it, and it Didn't Work (Nor WIll it EVER!)

Kris Kristoffersen said Jesus was a Capricorn in one of his songs. Commies claim He was a Socialist. The amazing thing is that Socialism/Marxism/Communism has been tried and failed every single time. Capitalism hasn't failed. Rather, it was a victim of subterfuge and sabotage by radicals who try to pass themselves off as "moderates."

Socialism was tried and it failed by the closest thing to perfect people since Adam & Eve, namely, the first century , fledgling church. It didn't work then for those good people and it certainly won't work with the scum bag politicians who want to try it again.

Different Strokes...

It's interesting to see how people process things and it's all part of this thing we call life. People react to things differently. I've noticed that some cannot handle complements without their hat size increasing and it's very unbecoming but I try to be patient and see if there may be a mid course correction. When you walk with the Lord and start that mess he'll cause something to humble you right quick, that's why I try to humble myself.

I've seen hosting karaoke, of all things, transform people from humble, nice, polite people to arrogant, obnoxious doo doo heads and a few people who have had one too many compliments react the same way. The thing to remember is it could all be gone so quickly.

I guess a good way to look at it is God's not finished with me, so he's probably not finished or maybe hasn't even gotten started with them. As we say in the South, bless their hearts

Jerry Lieber, Rest in Peace

He was half of the writing team Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller who wrote songs recorded by Elvis, the Coasters and others. They wrote "Hound Dog" "Little Egypt" and "Jailhouse Rock" and more. There's a new star in Rock'n'roll Heaven and a big hole if there is such a thing as the Rock Writers' Hall of Fame.

Elvis was accused of stealing "Hound Dog" from Big Momma Thornton but Elvis came up with his version of the song after hearing a guy sing it at a fair in Dallas TX.

(Picture: Elvis sings Hound Dog on the Steve Allen Show. Inset: Elvis with Lieber and Stoller)

Loser?

Labeling someone a loser basically makes the accuser the loser. At least that's the way I feel about it. From what I've heard from friends of mine who share this and similar forums, lots of them are tired of the how social websites have been over-commercialized. It's called networking and it is effective until it gets to the point of being obnoxious.

Let's talk about something that you won't see among MY pages and that is, anyone trying to push Amway. On two occasions I was approached about this. One time, a young friend of mine was getting his life in order in many ways, including spiritually and had invited me over to talk, I THOUGHT about his spiritual condition. This was before the cell phone and I had only known one Charlottean who had had a car phone and he had rooked our boss out of that. It turned out to be an Amway meeting. After a while, I became very familiar with the circles on the then, chalk board which today is probably the dry board or even some sort of power point presentation.

A friend had previously pitched Amway to me and I promised if he ever reached something called "Diamond Direct" I would "come in under him." More on that later. Then, years later a guy approached me with it and I told him of my promise to my FIRST friend and his reply, not paying attention to what I'd just said, was, "I'M Diamond Direct!" I made the promise to Ron White, who has long since ditched Amway, multilevel marketing and embraced his ministry calling.

The thing that is so unbecoming of these schemes is the way they instill in their inside victims (members, associates, whatever) an "us and them" mentality. They're LOSERS, because they haven't seen the light of AMWAY! There are people all over the country with attics and garages full of soap and vitamins and whatever Amway puts out. All good products, by the way.

There is a quiet, but growing roar that I believe is soon to manifest itself over these Amway-like multilevel marketing things and that is, a rejection of having them on your social website because they've heard it and are at the point of being TIRED of hearing it.

To her credit, I did see ONE friend who's involved in one of these who didn't wish to bombard people with this crap and started a separate page on a similar group. I salute her. For the rest I know you have to hear it three times, (some of you more) so here it is...No...no...NO! Okay?

Never Got a Chance...

You MAY have read about the Brewery, closing down this week. I failed to pay a visit there as most of my entrance into bars is for karaoke, but I always wanted to go check it out. Yesterday, it was demolished to make way for some new edifice to be constructed on that land. There are technicalities and legalities afoot that restrain me from just totally doing a number on the property's new owner, so suffice it to say that it is a shame my buddy Tom Taylor wasn't given adequate time for a proper "Good-bye Brewery" festival so several of the bands who have played there could do a fare well performance, etc. Let us hope that the old adage is true that what goes around will indeed COME around for this classless, opportunistic, well, YOU fill in the blank. Tom deserved much better than how he was treated.