College Town At Christmas 2020: The Five Stages of Hope In Bowling Green, Ky.

BOWLING GREEN, KY _ I remember the last Catholic mass I attended at my church this year was on March 7th. And I remember talking to one of my fellow parishioners about this strange "virus" getting ready to hit our college town and he was talking about the stocking up of toilet paper?  Honestly, I thought he was joking about the toilet paper. I couldn't imagine why everybody was going to need so much toilet paper.  I had some weird thoughts in my head at the time but I won't describe them in this blog entry. Lol. But I did not pay much attention to what he said about it really. All I remember that it was hard for me to believe something of this magnitude was going to take place in good ole Bowling Green as well as the State of Kentucky and the United States of America.  In my mind, killer viruses only happened in places like China and other far away foreign countries like that.

   Originally, I was in denial.  With my wife being a housewife, she would give me reports about what was happening across the country and in Washington DC with President Trump and his administration and how they were handling things with their medical task force regarding the virus.  I would get these reports when I came home from work for lunch because she had been watching TV. And sure enough, eventually, the toilet paper frenzy and shortage started happening in our community and everybody began to stock up on the toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, wipes, cleaning products, ammo, guns, survival items and can goods among many other items. It was ridiculous and crazy but a necessity at the same time that hundreds of people were rushing to do in our community. And it was happening all across the country also!

   Then the anger hit.  Everybody went to war on Facebook and social media all over the political spectrum on the different aspects of the virus whether or not that the virus was a hoax or not which many thought it was brought into American on purpose by the global socialists and communists.  Then it became a liberal vs. conservative thing.  A Republican vs. Democrat thing.  One by one, people started being alienating and blocking friends, neighbors and family members.  The divide in America over politics got even deeper and wider over issues of having to wear masks mandated by the Kentucky governor, the quarantines, the school closings, travel restrictions, shut downs of businesses and the limitations of gathering of people among tons of other restrictions. And over the things you could do and could not do. Many citizens felt that we were becoming a socialists country over the virus was occuring in America. Not to mention the riots that were happening in the streets again in America this summer and fall over racial tensions and the rise Black Lives Matters and how many people were turned off over the fact that the NFL and NBA took a stand with BLM.

Then people began bargaining with the fact that wearing masks into public buildings was being mandated by the governor and that the Covid-19 virus was real.  We realized that there was not much we could do about it and yes, hundreds of people were dying as they said.  Also, we began to bargain with the fact that this was going to be our way of life for a while until the vaccinations began to arrive and people we're given their shots. And then maybe, things would get better eventually. We hoped.

Then the depression hit.  People who were not essential workers in society began to get depress because they were staying home all the time, not enough money to live on because of unemployment or not wanting to go back to work because they were making more money drawing unemployment rather than going back to work.  Also a lot of small businesses in the community folded and collapsed because of the virus restrictions eventually causing them to go out of business for good.  Also, lots people lost their jobs because of the virus and a lot of people ended up filing bankruptcy.  And then it was being reported that a lot people have avoided going to the doctor altogether because the lack of money or no health insurance.

And finally, acceptance.  Fortunately, I was able to avoid the depression part and jumped from the bargaining part straight into acceptance.  This is where hope comes into the picture for me. So it is my hope this Christmas Eve, that all citizens in our college town of Bowling Green, Ky., finds peace and happiness in their lives in the final stage of acceptance of the virus.  In order to survive, we have to have faith and hope this Christmas season no matter what. We have to look deep inside of ourselves. I feel very blessed that I have my faith, a job, a home, a family, a dog and my health. Mainly, we have to have hope and faith in our medical professionals and the new vaccinations and we must have hope and faith in each other and work together towards a common goal in our college town-getting back to normal in 2021!  God Bless and Merry Christmas!

The Popular Facebook Group, "Dad Rocks" Is All About The Music And Building A Positive Community On Social Media

      Covid-19 had hit pretty us hard here in Bowling Green and Southcentral Kentucky during the Spring and Summer of 2020 with everything basically shutdown.  Public gatherings such as churches, weddings, parties, concerts and movie theaters came to a standstill with a limited amount of seating at restaurants and bars here in Kentucky as well as other places across the country.

      In order for me to cope with the sense of isolation when I was not working at my job as an "essential worker," I ended up spending a lot of time on my backyard deck grilling out and listening to rock music on my JBL bluetooth speaker during those cool spring evenings and hot summer nights. I had also developed an original playlist on my Apple Music app of rock songs which I played quite often while grilling out.  And I played the music loud during those decent hours of the early evenings of course where it did not disturb my neighbors.  If it did, I never heard any complaints out of anyone.     In the meantime, while I was looking at my Facebook app on my iPhone, I noticed that some of my friends like to do the same thing I was doing too. They were also grilling out on their backyard decks and patios and listening to music by themselves or with small groups of people.  Mainly, they would be with their own family members and of course their dogs and cats too while outside. And I would always have my Australian Shepherd, "Jude" with me and sometimes my wife and son also.

Then the idea occurred to me one evening while grilling out that I should create a private Facebook group where all my friends can join in and we can post of favorite rock videos, pics, stories and share memories in order to communicate with each in regards to our mutual love for rock music.  And we would only have one main rule: "No fighting, no arguing or no bullshit." Now, we have over 1,000 group members since I created the group in April of this year. The key to the fast growth of our group is because I have a great co-admin, Britt Moore of North Mississippi, who is a former classmate of mine from Hernando High School in Hernando, Miss., where I graduated in the early 80's and because everybody is tired of all the bullshit going on in the world especially on social media. Such as the 2020 presidential election and all of this Covid-19 crap. Then this awesome documentary on Netflix comes along called, "The Social Dilemma."  It's about the flip side of this wonderful modern invention called the "internet' and all of the social media sites such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, Instagram among many others. The creators and inventors of some of these sites are interviewed and they talk about the dark side or the flip side of social media and how it's created a lot of chaos in the world and divisions among groups of people whether it was intentional or not.  However, they claim that it was not to suppose be this way originally.  But it just grew and grew into this monstrous thing so quickly with millions and millions of people jumping on board which has become all about money and the collection of data.  Nowadays, the social media companies are some of the wealthiest companies out there in the world because they are selling "targeted, precise and direct advertising," to their clients.  Also these social media companies such as Facebook and Google have collected tons and tons of info on their users through the years and have even created profiles on them using computer algorithms in order to target ads for their clients.  They know what we like and what we hate that's for damn sure.

So with my new profound knowledge from watching this documentary on Netflix, I decided to take our private Facebook group one step even further and start proclaiming that we are "bucking the trend of negativity on social media and Facebook where there is no fighting, arguing or bullshit."  Dad Rocks is a happy and safe place where you can go to relax and post your favorites songs, videos and share your personal stories and memories without the worry of criticism while grilling out on the backyard deck or patio or sitting inside in your own home during the wintertime by the fireplace.  Or no matter where you are at in the world during the current moment. Dad Rocks helps you escape what happening in the world today especially during this very nasty election year along with all the Covid-19 worries. And I encourage all of our members to keep inviting their friends and family member too on daily basis and remind everyone what our group is about on my monthly podcast that I created over a month ago also called, "Dad Rocks."  In the Netflix documentary, it said that human beings since their evolution have always had that innate desire to have communication with each other and create communities.  So with the invention of the internet and social media apps and websites, we are now riding that wave of the future by building a better social media community that is positive, fun and safe.  We are looking forward to continue to build our social media rock music community and create new friendships where nobody is criticize for their taste in their music or rock videos. Because we all realize that music is a very powerful thing that touches every human being in a positive way, one way or another.  Mainly, we all know too well that music heals the human soul also! Which is an awesome thing!
 

The 2019 Documentary "Tread" On Netflix Brings Back A Distance 2004 National News Memory

   I was checking out the Netflix app on my iPhone the other day and the first thing that popped up was this new documentary called, "Tread."  It showed a picture of large monstrous looking bulldozer that actually looked like a tank.

  So, I thought that this documetnary seemed pretty interesting and I decided to check it out.  Tread is a true story that was made into a 2019 documentary where a disgruntled muffler shop repair shop owner and master welder by the name of  Marvin Heemeyer, fortifies a bulldozer and completely destroys a lot of businesses and homes in the small mountain town of Granby, Colo., in 2004.  Like I said in the title of this blog, I vaguely remember something about this briefly in the national news at the time.  At the end of the documentary, it said that this event made world-wide news for one day and then former president Ronald Reagan died the next day and the news story disappeared off the radar screen immediately.

    This guy, Marvin, who lived in Granby, it was said that most people in town liked him at first.  He was not a native to the area and he had only been in town for about 13 years when this crazy thing happened that he did.  Apparently, he had never been married or had any children.  Plus, they said he had worked hard his whole life and probably had saved every penny he had ever made. But apparently the citizens liked him because he did good work at his muffler shop and was an excellent welding and his prices were fair. But in 2001, he had a zoning dispute with the city and his grudge continued to grow.  He even hired a lawyer and who took it to court for him but lost. He shelled out a lot of money in city fines and had paid his lawyer a lot of money to do the court proceedings also.

    Eventually, Marvin auctioned off everything he owned and then rented some garage space where he began to covert this extra large bulldozer into this tank looking thing with cameras on the outside and television screens on the inside so he could see to drive it.  He also had some portal holes in the plates of reinforced steel that he welded together to form the cab over the bulldozer in order to shoot a rifle out the back.  Fornately, no one killed except Marvin himself.  He ended up shooting himself in the head inside the cab after the bulldozer got stuck in the basement of a building during his destructive rampage.  It took law officials several hours with a cutting blow torch to cut through the thick metal plates in order to get to his body.

     I thought this was an interestingly strange documentary.  The documentary also shows some actual video footage from the rampage and also you hear Marvin's voice a lot throughout the documentary when they play the cassette tape recordings of him that they had found after he was dead.  This just goes to show if you're not originally from a certain town and you are not from one of the big money families of the community or one of the movers or shakers/local politicians of the small town, you're best just to do your thing and get a long with people.  However, I do believe as a taxpayer, a local citizen and as an American, that you always have a right to voice your opinions and cast your vote.  But I think the majority of people in America won't turn a bulldozer into a tank and try to bulldoze a town down even if they are disgruntled.  At least I hope not.  I think there was definitely some major mental illness going on with Marvin at the time but the citizens of Granby didn't recognize it or they didn't want to do anything about it because they knew he was really angry and resentful.  Also, maybe in the back of their minds, they knew he eventually would probably loose it one way or another.

   But in my mind, on the other hand, rioting, looting and burning down buildings on the streets of America like we're seeing these days, this is not okay with me either.  Because this destructive type of behavior seems very crazy to me also like what Marvin did in 2004.  Either way, I think it's all insane.  Violence and destruction is not the answer for injustice.  Peaceful protest, yes.  But as far as the other is concern, no.

The American Flag, America, Freedoms And The Fourth Of July 2020

    Why do I fly the American flag?  And what does it mean to me on this Fourth of July of 2020?

Well, it means a lot to me.  First of all, I am an American Patriot and my late father, Army Major and Bronze Star Medalist Brooks Smith of Memphis, Tennessee, was a World War II, Korean War and 27 year veteran of the Memphis National Guard.  I flag the American flag in front yard of my home and backyard to honor him and all other military war veterans who served fought and died for America.  I honor and respect them.  I also honor and respect all military personnel, police offers and all emergency service personnel such as firemen and EMS in our towns and cities across America.

     America is the greatest country in the world thanks to these people and its hardworking, productive, taxpaying citizens.  It's these people who make it possible to do what we do in America.  We are able to go to work and come home and have peace and freedom in our homes without the fear of someone attacking us or trying to take what we have.  So I highly suggest this coming November election, I certainly hope that you will re-elect President Trump in order to continue to protect these freedoms thanks to all of military veterans who have worked and fought in order to protect our freedoms in America and continue to do so on a daily basis.  And also, I thank America's forefathers for what they did in creating this country along with our Constitution which also protects these freedoms that we have today.  So on this Fourth of July of 2020, please thank about all the freedoms you have as American citizen while you grill your hamburgers, BBQ ribs, hot dogs, shooting fireworks with friends and family while drinking your ice cold beer.  And mainly, fly your American flag and thank a veteran, a police officer, a fireman or a EMS worker when you get a chance.  Thank you and God Bless America! And Happy Fourth of July!

A Tribute To the Late Bob Kelley, Mid-South Concerts And The Memphis Rock Scene

There's a new Facebook group out there and I think it's great! I thank Scott Schaeffer for creating it. Scott and I have never met before in person but we share a lot of common ground and interests.

We have known each other for about 10 years now on FB. Mainly, we have the Mid-South Coliseum in common. Years ago, he started the “Save The Mid-South Coliseum” FB page and I started the “Fans of the Mid-South Coliseum” FB page. I think the biggest thing that we all have in common in this new group is that we loved the Memphis rock music scene from the 70’s and 80’s and its history. We were all part of this one big mammoth rock scene that spread its wings throughout five states thanks to Memphis radio stations such Rock 103, our flagship rock station at the time. We were entertained by some of the biggest rock bands in the world during those years ushered in by them late Bob Kelley and Mid-South Concerts.


Memphis had a reputation among rock musicians and bands that we were loud and raucous. And it was true! We were also known for the home of Elvis and the Blues. I think every rock band or musician who made a stop in Memphis was intrigued by that. However, I didn’t know Mr. Kelley personally or even knew that he existed, but I do remember my first Mid-South Concerts rock show experience. I saw the Doobie Brothers at the Mid-South Coliseum (MSC) in the summer of 1977 with Henry Gross opening for them.

I attended many concerts at the MSC, the Memphis auditorium, the Mid-South fairgrounds and even some Memphis music halls or bars during a five year span (1977-1982) of my life from age 15-20 years-old (18 years-old was the drinking age back then) mainly during my teenage formative years. My last concert at the MSC was Rush in fall of 1982 during freshman year at Ole Miss.

For many of us, between going to school, working odd jobs around the house to earn money (For me: doing electrical work for my brother, hauling hay for local farmers and working at Sonic in Hernando Miss.) or allowances from our parents, we somehow managed to purchase a Mid-South Concert ticket to head out to a rock show with our friends. There was nothing like the thrill of the anticipation of a Mid-South Concert rock show coming up. We marked our calendars and we could not wait! We had no iPhones, smart TV’s or internet like we have these days. Then after the show was over with, we proudly wore our concert t-shirts to school like a badge of honor the next day and our ears rang for the next three days! Lol.

For most of us those who attended high school or even college, we became cultured in campus life and activities and etc. And for those of us who were lucky enough to be a part of the Memphis rock scene back in those days and who attended Mid-South Concerts, we were cultured in ways that many people on earth will never get to experience. And we will never forgot it for the rest of our lives either whether still have our old ticket stubs, old concerts t-shirts or by watching Youtube video footage of old concerts clips, looking at pics from concerts or reading old newspaper clips about the shows. They were some of the best times of our young lives. It was all good friends, good vibes and lots of partying.


Mainly, we have our best memories. And our best memories live on in our minds, hearts and souls and this what this page is about. Thank you, the late Bob Kelley and Mid-South Concerts and to the Memphis rock scene that still lives on forever which still exists that takes many shapes and forms these days. And mainly, thank you, Scott, my good FB friend!

Millions Of Americans Have Stepped Into "The Tiger King" Trap On Netflix During Their "Stay-At-Home" Quarantine

     I guess you can say I got "caught" up in it watching "The Tiger King" on Netflix during my three and half day "staycation" recently.  I was "hooked" as they also say.

     And so are millions of other Americans who are working on their third week of doing time during their self-imposed, stay-at-home quarantine because of the COVID-19 or Coronavirus that's attacking people all over the world.  But some people still have to work and I am one of them.  However, I did have a little time off recently and all I accomplished while being home besides walking the dog around the neighborhood a bunch, cleaning the gutters out on the house, was finish watching the seven part, "ride wide" series of "The Tiger King."

  Everybody has been raving about this crazy documentary on social media lately especially on Facebook.  This attention grabbing documentary on Netflix is about an eccentric character named Joe Exotic who is really out there and who owns a bunch of tigers and wild animals on some land in Oklahoma. He's gay and married to two guys.  Lots of drugs and guns were involved too apparently. He ran a zoo, had a very successful reality internet show and was making a lot of money.  But then comes this cat loving lady named Carol Baskin of "Big Cat Rescue" located  in Tampa, Fla.  She is an animal rights activist who was trying to put Joe and some other tiger owners out of business across the country. But then Joe goes to war with her.  I'll leave the rest to your imagination as to what happens. Here's are some of my comments that I posted about the documentary on Facebook.


"I think it’s the perfect case study where somebody started out small and humble and then money and ego went to their head. Also, greed and narcissism got the best of Joe Exotic. When Carol of Big Cat Rescue started threatening his livelihood, he started attacking her back and digging dirt up on her on his internet reality show. Then he found the mother load. He found out about her second husband going missing and he started accusing and attacking her of that in public on his show. He should have just left her alone I think."


"Also, I am no psychiatrist but it appears to me that Joe most likely has some sort of mental illness such as bi-polar because of his severe mood swings portrayed on the series. Maybe he was already diagnosed but wasn’t taking his meds and drinking alcohol and using street drugs. Or he was taking his meds but drinking alcohol and using street drugs on top of the meds. Who knows for sure though."

    So I hope I didn't spoil the documentary for you in this blog.  If you haven't watched the "The Tiger King," you need too.  You'll step into a trap like millions of Americans have currently while they are sitting at home basically doing nothing except walking the dog, cleaning the gutters out and binge watching Netflix.

We Are Tough And Strong Amid The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

     I was remember when my new wife and I and our little baby boy moved to Kentucky in the summer of 1987, we were broke.

   
    All we basically had was a small rented U-Haul truck with his baby bed, a small dresser, some clothes and some boxes of college books and papers.  We had thrown the towel in and left Oxford, Miss., where I had been attending the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) for the last five years of my life before I got married and my wife gave birth to our child.  We decided to move to her hometown of Russellville, Ky., to get a fresh start in life in order to get jobs and raise our son.  I had some prior work experience in the hotel and restaurant industry and some work study jobs while on campus.  Also, I had done some electrical contracting work with my brother's small business while I was in high school.  However, my wife had quite of bit of office clerical experience and she was a super fast typist and a damn good speller. But still things were still tough when we first moved to Kentucky because we didn't know many people except her family and the economy was not that great in the late 80's in Southcentral Kentucky at the time.  A lot of the factories around the area had been shut down or had downsized during that time period.

      After six months of living in Russellville and working some temp jobs at a couple of factories (which was culture shock to me because I had never worked in a factory) we finally moved to Bowling Green, Ky., 30 miles east of Russellville where we able to obtain better jobs.  I went to work as a salesman for a three years for two large life insurance companies and my wife worked for a doctor's office and then she was able to get on at a brand new Japanese factory in Bowling Green working on the front office staff.  Eventually, I went on to work for the local newspaper in the newsroom for five years and was able to use my college journalism education.  However, after five years in the newsroom, it was time for me to move on to something else in order to make more money so I could better provide for my family. I landed on my feet in a sales and service career where I have been working for the last 25 years and I am now looking forward to retirement in a few years.  My wife is now a housewife with retirement and since we have moved to Kentucky, we have owned two homes and our son graduated from Western Kentucky University here in Bowing Green almost 12 years ago. He now he lives on his own in Nashville working in his profession of graphic arts and music.  Life does get better if you keep working at is my point.  Never give up and keep trying.

     Also, don't give up hope amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  Don't get down and depressed. Things will get better and we will get through this together.  Keep a positive attitude.  Turn off the television news for a while, stay busy and listen to some music that you really enjoy. Watch funny movies and TV shows while you're at home.  Play with your doggies and kitty cats.  Constantly create a safe space for your children and always reassure them that everything is going to be alright.

    Most importantly, we have to be safe if we have to venture out for essentials or if you work an essential job.  And we have to do what our government leaders and authories are asking us to do during the tough period in the history of our country.  And remember, wash your hands constantly and sanitize everything.  Wear gloves or masks if you have them while out in public.

    And lastly, think back about the some of those tough periods in your life like I just did above that you have been through already in your life.  Remember, we are tough and strong.  And "God does not make no junk" as the old saying goes. 

   

My Indoctrination To The Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss) Preppy Scene In The Early 80's

 
There's been a lot of controversy at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) lately over its history, culture, traditions and heritage at the famous Southern public college with a certain group on campus i.e. the progressive extreme leftist liberal socialists wanting to always do away with more of the school's symbols and representations of its controvrsial past.

Ole Miss is located about 80 miles south of Memphis and you could say it's basically in the heart of the Deep South. The university has been known as the Ole Miss Rebels for years but in the last 40 years or so, a lot of the school's symbols representing of who they are or they were have been slowly eroding away.
First, it was the Rebel flag in which the university quit allowing cheerleaders to wave during football games in the early 80's. Then the  Rebel flag was banned altogether and then years later they changed the mascot from Col. Reb to eventually a silly looking Landshark. Then the univeristy took away the Dixie song that the Ole Miss Pride of the South marching band used to play at all sporting events. Also, the progressive extreme liberal socialists on campus banned the Mississippi state flag because it has a smaller rebel flag inside of it and now the now they are trying to move a Confederate statue off campus.

Mainly, it's obviously that the university has been catering to the minority populations on campus for awhile now or so and now it appears the school has put the LGBTQ+  community in the forefront too. Also, the extreme leftist liberal socialist professors have been cramming their liberal garbage and poisonous knowledge down the throats of the students in their classes and it appears to be happening at colleges all across the country these days. But unfortunately, Ole Miss is caught in the crosshairs of its past, present and future where the progressive extreme liberal socialists on campus are trying to whitewash the university's Southern history, traditions and heritage. However, since I was student there in the early 80's five years from 1982-1987, I was indoctrinated in the Ole Miss fraternity and "Preppy" scene early on. Our preppy history and culture should be honored and preserved too. The way we dressed and acted back in those days on campus, downtown Oxford or even on Bourbon Street, was who we were. We were Ole Miss. Being preppy was so much of the Ole Miss culture back then. And now it’s our history and a big part of the traditions and heritage of Ole Miss whether the school recognizes it or not. Our university cannot deny this fact and this history should not be excluded or failed to be recognized by the school either. It is just as much a part of the university’s history as African American or LGBTQ+ culture in my opinion. The Ole Miss preppy culture should be recognized and remembered by the university. Or even honored perhaps.

I remember one of my first overnight visits to the Ole Miss campus when I was a junior in high school in 1980, two of my classmates from Hernando, Miss., where roommates together. They had invited me down to spend a weekend with them in their dorm room.  We went to go see the cult classic hit movie, "Caddyshack" at the old Ritz theater in downtown Oxford.  The theater was filled with a bunch of older Ole Miss frat boys wearing khaki pants and white and blue button down shirts with penny loafers on.  Practically, during every scene of the movie, the theater was filled with roaring laughter.  This was when in my mind, I had been indoctrinated in to the Ole Miss preppy scene and I was determined after I graduated from high school that I was going to attend Ole Miss.  Being a part of that scene was one reason that I wanted to attend Ole Miss.  But there were others reasons too of course. My Hernando classmates said that National Lampoon's "Animal House," another classic cut movie starring John Belushi had been a big hit at the Ritz too and in college towns across the America a year or two earlier.


I found this YouTube video (right) of an interview with Lisa Birnbach, the author of “The Official Preppy Handbook” who visited Ole Miss in the early 80’s and she had written about our awesome college in her book. I think a lot of us who attended Ole Miss in the 70’s and 80’s were preppies and most of us still are at heart.  And most of us remember hanging out at "The Warehouse," and "The Gin,"  a couple of local bars, on Friday afternoons and nights with our frat brothers or sorority sisters and fellow preppies with standing room only where the beer and mixed drinks seemed to flow like water. Those were the days.

Republicans Across America Celebrate As President Trump Runs A Victory Lap Regarding His Impeachment Trial Acquittal

I think we can all attest that being observers and participates in modern day American politics brings out the best and worst of most people on social media. I admire those who remain silent. However, a lot of us observers of politics are not able to or choose not to do so. I suppose I am one of those who post what’s on my mind

especially when the battles get heated up in Washington  like they did earlier in the week. I would dare say that most of us  Republicans were apparently really happy enjoying our day basking in the sun on social media while President Trump ran a victory lap regarding his impeachment trial acquittal before the media at the National Prayer Breakfast. With President Trump’s State of the Union Address, Nancy Pelosi being a sore loser by tearing up President Trump’s speech up on national television and of course, President's Trump’s ultimate “not guilty” on both impeachment charges, most of us Republicans used social media as a megaphone to tell the world how we felt about it. I was called “100% mean spirited” by one person and a “a pathetic human” by another person on Facebook. So I blocked them. I don’t argue with those who take politics personally and start the name calling.  Nonetheless, it was an incredible day for all of us Republicans across America!

Let's Keep Building Ole Miss Up Rather Than Tearing Her Down By Taking Away Her Traditions And Heritage

The Lyceum

   I knew Willie Morris, Barry Hannah, Dr. Porter Fortune, Ron Shapiro and The Hoka. I knew the Rebel flag, the Rebels, Frat Row, the Dixie Song and Kentucky bourbon in my Coke on a Saturday football fall afternoon. I knew the Spirit of Ole Miss as I graced her hallways in The Lyceum on an early Spring morning or as I sat in a classroom at Bondurant Hall on a long, hot summer day. I knew the beat of her heart when I walked the Grove on a beautiful fall afternoon.

    And I can still hear her calling my name as I am one of thousands of students who knew and loved her as she was. Thirty three years later, it’s not a matter of how much money I have given her through the years. But it’s a matter of how much she has given me. She prepared me for the world, my career and how to be a family man. She made me into a productive and responsible citizen in my community.

My late mother and I in 1986 at Ole Miss

   
She has given me so much more than I could have ever given her. So the question is, “Would we recognize her today? No, I don’t think so. Has her spirit, heart and soul been destroyed? Yes, I think so. The liberals and socialists have crawled all over her like poisonous and diseased insects. So let’s keep building her up rather than tearing her down. Let’s keep her traditions and heritage alive so she will continue to have a positive impact on all of her student’s lives for future generations as she done for mine today. May God Bless Ole Miss and Hotty Toddy! (Pic below: My late mother and I in 1986).

Rush: Keeping It In The Family By Tony Smith, Formerly of The Indie Rock Band, "Sleeper Agent," From Bowling Green, Ky.

My son, Tony Smith, posted this (see below) on his Facebook timeline about Rush and our relationship with each other regarding the band. I thought it was a fine tribute to the late Neil Peart also.

“My dad wrote a blog about Neil Peart that I’d like to share and it got me thinking about our relationship and our relationship with Rush. 

———this’ll probably be a TL;DR———-

So, Rush has been the go-to “dad rock” band for as long as I can remember. Often they’ve been the go-to joke for overzealous rockists and squares alike. But, honestly Rush was always my “dad rock” band because it’s the first thing I can remember sharing with my dad as “ours”. I used to sneak into his office when he was at work and marvel over the artwork on his LPs and cassettes. Rush always had the best covers and eventually he played me the music behind the images. It was complicated but catchy; for every 3 minute pop-gem there was a ridiculously indulgent 10-minute-plus heady jam. Over the years, it’s something we’ve shared together exclusively. Every time a modern Rush album or live DVD came out, I’d buy my dad the discs and we’d enjoy them cranked to 11. During the Vapor Trails era we grieved for Neil Peart and the trauma that he went through with losing his family. We went to the Belcourt in 2010 and watched the Rush doc: Beyond the Lighted Stage and it was strange but also fitting to see a bunch of Dads and sons waiting in line, haha. Even a little funnier watching a bunch of grown-men (aka, 70s stoners, now family-men) cry during the sad bits about Peart. When Sleeper Agent got their first “big check” (it wasn’t that big, folks) after signing our record deal, I got my dad 2 tix so see Rush at Bridgestone for Xmas. ANYWAY, Peart was the heart and soul of Rush. He wrote the lyrics and drove the songs. The lyrics were often hammy in a New Age kinda way and his solos and drum kit were absolutely ridiculous... but damn, having Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in this world made it fun to be a square, a rockist, a dweeb, snob, stoner etc... 😂. We lost a good one far too soon. 

PS: Rush is clearly for everybody. I bet there are Moms and sons, moms and daughters and dads and daughters who had the same experience... I’m just sharing mine. 😘”

RIP Neil Peart: Rush And The "Permanent Wave"

I’ve been thinking about the news of the death of Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, this morning. Probably like most Rush fans, I have been reminiscing about my youth and how I became a Rush fan as a teenager in the late 70’s on top of the bluffs of North Mississippi on a fishing lake where my dad had built a lake house in 1975. I attracted to early Rush hit songs such as “Working Man” and “Fly By Night” among several others that I listened to on my Hi-Fi Pioneer component stereo system at my dad’s lake house where we were known to have unsupervised notorious basement parties among our other teenage friends long before the days of the cell phone, internet and cable TV. But mainly we had a pool table in the basement that was the center of our attention.

I am honored to say that I was able to be under the same roof with Mr. Peart or “the professor” as he was also known and I witness his incredible drumming skills and tremendous performances during the album tours of “Hemispheres” in 1979 at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis and twice in 1981 during the “Moving Pictures” tour-once in Memphis and once in Jackson, Miss. Also, again in Memphis during the “Signals” tour in 1982 and finally 29 years later in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena during their “Time Machine” tour.

The concert in Nashville was April 3, 2011 and on April 5, 2011, Rush was to play in Louisville. I had to go to Scottsville, Ky., to work the next day on April 4, 2011, and on my way back to Bowling Green from Scottsville, I saw Neil Peart riding his BMW motorcycle on Ky. 231 heading towards Bowling Green as he passed me in my truck. I figured he had taken U.S. 31-E north out of Nashville in order to crossover into Kentucky and then on up on I-65 to Louisville for the next show. He was known to take the backroads on his motorcycle as he went from gig to gig. The two other band members, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee flew by plane between gigs. Believe it or not, Mr. Peart looked over at me and I waved to me as he passed me.

Getting to see Mr. Peart ride his motorcycle past me on that highway was not by chance, but a synchronized magical moment in time and space that I will cherish the rest of my life. Thank you, Mr. Peart for that “permanent wave” and all your years of entertaining Rush fans all over the world.