Happy New Year, From Yours Truly!

"I am looking forward to the New Year and the good things to come. Regardless of the challenges (personal, business or spiritual) that await us in 2016, (the hills and valleys), we are all on this journey together called "life" and we are all interconnected one way or another by the past, present and future. I am glad that I know you and have you as my friend whether I have ever met you in person or not. Peace and Happy New Year to you and your family!"-Galen A. Smith Sr. (A recent Facebook post).

College Town At Christmas: Bowling Green, Ky., 2015

     Although Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., (Kentucky's third largest city now) had an enrollment of 21,000 students this past fall semester in our town with a population of 65,000 or more these days, you really can't tell that things have slowed down much for us this Christmas break.

     I painstakingly made a long detour last night just to avoid heavy traffic on Campbell Lane and Nashville Road not to mention Scottsville Road and Campbell Lane where the Greenwood Mall is located.  It seems everybody and their brother were in Bowling Green last night from every small town in the 10 county area surrounding us.  Of course, we love our booming economy and the millions of dollars that are spent our college town each day but not the heavy traffic.

     But between the new Star Wars movie, cheap gas with heavy traffic, internet Christmas shopping, grocery shopping at Kroger, terrorism, the Republican debate, the gun debate, the NRA, the Obama administration, the California Muslims terrorists killers, the Paris, France, Muslims killers and the murder and rape of little seven-old Gabbi Doolin of Scottsville, Ky., this has been a very trying Christmas season so far for all us in our college town.  Finally, now it seems that citizens of Bowling Green are getting into the Christmas spirit somewhat with everything that has been going on.  We are a busy, hardworking class of people.  We are college professors, administrators, intellectuals, students, nurses, doctors, lawyers, accountants, factory workers, office workers, restaurant workers, bricklayers, construction workers, pastors, laypeople, sales peoples, service people and everyone else in between in our college town.  We have more houses and apartments being built than ever these days.  Also, old restaurants and houses on the By-Pass are being torn down to make room for new construction among other areas in town for new commercial developments.

    No, Bowling Green is not that the same college town that it used to be even since I moved here in 1988.  It has grown and changed tremendously.  For instance, Western Kentucky University's football team the "Hilltoppers" have had winning seasons these last several years. They have played more televised games than ever and they played in the Bahamas Bowl last year and they are going to play in the Miami Beach Bowl in Miami on Monday. We are proud of the major efforts and strides that the Hilltoppers have made with their football program these last several years bringing national recognition to WKU and our college town.

    However, I think the bottom line for us this Christmas season of 2015 in our college town is to try to strike a balance between the heavy traffic and our spiritual dynamics.  (No, seriously). We have to ask ourselves, "Where do we fit in this season with the big picture of Christmas?"  As a Catholic conservative, I am challenged to make choices and decisions everyday about my faith and how I judge and treat other people even though I may not like them or they may not like me.  Maybe they were not born in America.  Maybe they are not Christian and they are Muslim or another religion. Or no religion at all. That's what I am talking about this Christmas season.  Maybe it's challenging your faith and your belief system this Christmas like it's challenging mine.

     As Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day, right?  And that's why we do everything that we do this time of the year-the hustle and bustle, Christmas shopping (internet) or shopping at the Greenwood the mall, driving in traffic (ugh), gift buying, exchanging gifts at Christmas, parties, decorations, Christmas music and food, family and spirits. But deep down in our hearts, we have to ask ourselves, "How does Jesus want us to treat our fellow human being?" Is it based on whether they are gay, straight, American, non-American, Christian or non-Christian?"  I think that's the real challenge of Christmas this year in our college town. Remember, it doesn't hurt to be cautious and be aware of suspicious activity and people.  If that's the case, please let the Bowling Green Police Department know what's going on.  But I think we have to somehow allow the light shine through us and allow the Christmas spirit glow inside us as bright as ever this Christmas even though it's been awfully dark and gloomy in the world around us. Just maybe, we can make someone else's Christmas a little brighter with even a touch of kindness and a smile. That's all. (And that doesn't mean flipping someone the bird and honking at them when they cut you off in traffic. lol.). Anyway, Merry Christmas and peace be with you my friends!

The Murder Of A Seven Year-Old Girl In Scottsville, Ky., And ISISTerrorists in Paris, France, Dominate The World-Wide News This Past Week

     Evil is lurking in the shadows of darkness even in the hills and valleys of a small town in Southcentral Kentucky.

     However, we never know when something incredible evil is going to strike and we as Americans these days are always hoping and praying that it does not happen to us.  Because after all, most of us are hardworking, taxpaying citizens of our cities, counties and states across the country.  I think most Americans feel like they are safe in this country to a certain degree.  Or least we hope so. But in the age of social media, most of us who are always connected to Facebook, Twitter and whatever else internet site is out there and we have developed a habit of venting.  We have become accustomed to expressing our opinions and views regarding of what's happening on a global, national or local level.  We are living in an age where a constant hit of dopamine to our brains has become an everyday occurrence on multi-levels while on our smart phones, iPads and desktop computers. We have become addicted to the "likes" of approval from our peers from these sites too. But sometimes we have Facebook friends who differ with us in our opinions which is okay, because after all there in a thing called, "Freedom of Speech" in America.  That's the way we like it and that's the way we want to keep it, right?

    But this past week was another one of those weeks, where the battle of opinions and the expression of views was a like an on-going 24 hour town hall debate that never stopped.  Millions of Facebook users including me had opinions and we expressed our views about ISIS in the world and the murders of the concert goers in Paris last Friday night. Also it was the war of words against the Syrian refugees between the liberals and the conservatives and the Obama administration for wanting to continue to allow Syrian refugees to keep coming in to America.  The voters of America got into action and started calling their congressmen's and senator's local offices to express their opinion against allowing these potential terrorists to come into our country.  A bill was passed in our government within a week and states across America banned them all together.

        Also, here in Southcentral Kentucky we were all exposed to the unthinkable, horrible news of the little girl who went missing at a little league football game at the high school in Scottsville, Ky., and her murdered body was found approximately 25 minutes later lying next to a creek in a wooded area next to the stadium. Fear struck the hearts and minds of  the small town residents with a population of 4,200 just southeast 25 miles of Bowling Green, Ky.  The murder of Gabbie Doolin has not only affected the residents of Southcentral Kentucky but the whole world it seems.  The kidnapping, rape, sodomy and murder of Gabbie according to Kentucky State Police (KSP) made world-wide news being portrayed on CNN, CBS, NBC, FOX and thousands of other news outlets which include local, state,  national and global media including People Magazine.http://www.people.com/article/timothy-madden-arrested-rape-kidnapping-murder-Gabbi-doolin

      Fortunately, thanks to the extremely difficult and hard work of the Kentucky State Police and local authorities, they were able to make an arrest of the suspect.  His name is Timothy Madden, 38 years-old, father of five and an unemployed construction worker who also went to high school with Gabbi's father. According to sources, Madden was at the football game last Saturday night and even sat close to the family in the stands. Madden maintains that he is innocent but KSP say that they have DNA evidence that connects him to the crime scene and Gabbi's little body.  If Madden is guilty of this unspeakable murder, we certainly hope that justice will be served to the extreme.  However, some people seem to still wonder if they have the right man.  I suppose that will be up to a jury to determine.

     As a Americans, we must be vigilant.  Nowadays we live in a different world.  It's not like used to be in the 60's, 70's and even the 80's somewhat. We have to watch our backs and protects ourselves against any potential terrorists by vetting the refugees coming to our country. And we most definitely must watch our children always and protect them against child predators and sexual monsters.  We must always keep tabs on them and who they are with.  Keep the evil of darkness on your doorstep outside.  Protect yourself, your homes and families with a spirit of God, love, light and even a legal and registered gun if you have one.

Looking Back: Sleeper Agent, The Former Indie-Rock Band From Bowling Green, Ky., Part 1

The Former Sleeper Agent Band From Bowling Green, Ky.

Sleeper Agent is a former alternative/indie rock band who was based out of Bowling Green, Ky., and they were originally signed with Mom + Pop Music of New York City, NY., but later signed with RCA Records. Members included Alex Kandel, lead vocals, Tony Smith, songwriter, guitar and vocals, Scott Gardner, keyboards, Lee Williams, bass, Josh Martin, lead guitar and Justin Wilson, drums. Their debut album, "Celabrasion," came out Sept. 27, 2011 and they toured with another Bowling Green national touring indie rock band, "Cage The Elephant," all over the United States in 2011. Sleeper Agent started 2012 off with a bang in Chicago with a New Years Eve concert with Cage The Elephant, Company of Thieves and Morning Teleportation at the Argon Ballroom. Also, in January of 2012, Sleeper Agent went on the Weezer Cruise from Miami to Mexico and back. They were the supporting act with Ben Kweller for several months during 2012. On their second album, Sleeper Agent's RCA Records, "About Last Night" was released March 25, 2014. The first single, "Waves" came off the new album in December of 2013. Sleeper Agent made national television appearances on the Jimmy Fallon Show during the first album tours and The David Letterman Show on their second album tours and had their first headlining tour during their second album in the Winter and Spring of 2014. They also toured on the second leg of the Summer 2014 Warped Tour. Sleeper Agent played shows with other well known bands across the country, Manchester Orchestra, Young The Giant, Grouplove, Awalnation, Weezer and New Politics just to name a few. After, lead vocalist, Alex Kandell appeared on NBC's The Voice in the Fall of 2015, Tony Smith released a brief statement on his Twitter account that Sleeper Agent had broken up and they were was no longer a band.

FROM THE 'HISTORY' OF SLEEPER AGENT'S WIKIPEDIA PAGE:

Tony Smith and Alex Kandell

"After a few "unremarkable gigs" as a musical duo, guitarist Tony Smith and drummer Justin Wilson recruited the young Alex Kandel as a vocalist after discovering her working as a barista and, "doing Adele covers on open mic nights." The band gained their current lineup after recruiting Williams, Gardner, and Martin. A short time later they were discovered by producer Jay Joyce, who prompted them to record their debut LP Celabrasion,[1] which was released through iTunes on August 2, 2011, followed by a physical release on September 27 the same year. The first single from the album, "Get It Daddy", was featured as iTunes' "Free Single of the Week" in late July/early August of that year. Sleeper Agent went on to tour with Cage the Elephant in late 2011. They were invited to play The Weezer Cruise in January 2012 pairing them with musical acts such as Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, and Wavves.Sleeper Agent went on to support Fun. from February 29 through March 11 of 2012. Their tour continued through early May with the Texas wunderkind Ben Kweller. The band was featured on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 23, 2012. Sleeper Agent played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 15 and 22, 2012. They also played The Hangout Music Festival in late May of the same year. After a few intermittent shows throughout June and July the band played Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY and then opened for Weezer at two shows in late July. Sleeper Agent also played Starry Nights Music Festival (hosted by Cage the Elephant) outside of Bowling Green, KY in late September 2012. That same month, singer Alex Kandel was nominated for the Women who Rock competition for a spot on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.
The band appeared on Doug Benson's podcast "Doug Loves Movies", with guest Graham Elwood.
Their second album "About Last Night" was released on March 25, 2014.
After the band toured their way through 2014 even playing on The Late Show With David Letterman on July 9, 2014 and had set up tour dates in early 2014 with the band New Politics. The band had become inactive on social media and Sleeper Agent had not played any shows for the majority of 2015 with the only news to come out from the members was news of side projects and Alex Kandel being a possible contestant for the show The Voice, although she had once tweeted about the band possibly having new material back in May 2015.
On September 29, 2015 Tony Smith had posted a picture of the band on Sleeper Agents Facebook and Twitter reading "2010-2015". Tony had posted with the picture "The 5 best years of my life... so far." - Lurve, @tnysmth". He had also stated in another post on twitter "Cat's officially out of the bag. Sleeper Agent aren't together anymore. There's no bad blood and we're all still friends.‪#‎neversaynever‬" officially stating that the band had broken up. Finally Alex stated as well that the band "hit this plateau and we decided to part ways and try other things." She talked about the band in the past tense and said her time in Sleeper Agent is over.
As of September 29, 2015, Alex had appeared on NBC's The Voice as a contestant choosing to work with Gwen Stefani."

To become a member of Sleeper Agent's Facebook Fan Page click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/192104947473887/

Alex and Tony

Margaritaville Beach Hotel, Pensacola Beach, Fla.: The Hotel With A "Million Dollar View"

Early Morning Sunrise at the Beach

   
It was one of the first things that caught my eye when I walked into the  beautiful and spacious lobby of the Margaritaville Hotel at Pensacola Beach, Fla., earlier this month when Patty and I made our annual short vacation trip down to the Gulf of Mexico from Kentucky. This hotel which is only five years-old, in my opinion, has a "Million Dollar View" of the Emerald Coast with its very white sandy beaches just below your feet as you stand at the glass panel windows looking out into vast blue, green waters of the ocean. You can see for miles and miles. This type of view of the ocean always stirs an awesome feeling inside me-a feeling of relaxation and inspiration.  I noticed that the hotel also had a very nice gift shop in the lobby with lots of Jimmy Buffett merchandise and Jimmy Buffett and reggae music was constantly playing in the background in the lobby at a very decent low level volume. The staff at the front desk were really nice and helpful. They gave us good directions on how to get to our room and where to park. And when we checked into our room in which we did on the very top floor, the seventh floor, we experienced a even more incredible breathtaking view of the Gulf of Mexico.

Patty standing in front of the hotel beachside

I loved the balcony with its two chairs and little table. It's a non-smoking hotel, so you don't have smell any cigarette smoke blowing up towards you from guests down below. I am an early riser so I really enjoyed getting up before dawn and watch the sunrise while drinking a cup of coffee from the Keurig Coffee Maker in the bathroom and sitting in the waffle cloth spa robe that the hotel provides for you during your stay. Patty always loves to sleep in especially in the wonderful king size bed that was in the room with its fantastically soft, white linens and duvets. The towels and wash clothes were super soft too and smelled very fresh! The first night we walked around the hotel and out to the pool and out on a long boardwalk from the hotel to the beach. The sun was setting and we took some awesome pics. Very romantic! We had dinner in the hotel's full service restaurant in the lobby called, "Frank & Lolas Pensacola Cafe" and it was really good. Not too

The front of the hotel bayside

Our room with the million dollar view

overpriced with a friendly and attentive staff. I had their delicious blackened grouper Fish Sandwich and fries and Patty had the House Sirloin steak dinner. I also tried some of their local brewed beer and I went with the Fairhope beer brewed just down the road in Mobile, Ala., which is a classic American pale ale, brewed with a combination of American-made Falconer's Flight hops and German hops. The next morning I woke up early and did my early sunrise thing and snapped a few pics. We spent about a half of a day at the hotel's awesome pool and Tiki bar and then went to the beach of course. Patty thought the weather was a little too cool but I thought it was perfect. Of course, I was in and out of the water several times also. I loved the fact, the hotel gives you two free Landshark beers coupons when you check in and I used those at the Tiki bar. Earlier in the day, we had walked the boardwalk area of the beach hitting a few gift shops and had lunch at Sidelines, our all-time favorite sports-bar and grill. Later on that evening, we drove over to Flounders Chowder House for some of our annual favorite seafood with a couple of Pina Coladas. We even purchased the really cool glasses that they came in and brought them home with us.

The awesome pool

Patty and I at breakfast

The next day we had a late lunch at Peg Leg Pete's another one of our favorite seafood restaurants on the beach. Apparently we ate so much seafood we totally skipped dinner. We also drove down to Casino Beach pier and paid a $1.25 each to see dolphins, sharks, jelly fish and fishermen fishing-everything you'd see while walking out on the pier.  I've always enjoyed the pier because you never know what you're going to see. Earlier that day, we had gone downstairs to the lobby and had breakfast at Frank and Lola's. We sat outside on the deck and the food and coffee was out of this world. We had a super nice and friendly server by the name of Belinda. She did a great job! She said she has been working there pretty much ever since the hotel opened. Patty later asked at the front desk if they had laundry service because she had dropped some food on her sweater and they said they did but it had already gone out. However, Constance, the Executive Housekeeper, happened to be there and she said would be glad to help out with a friendly smile.  She personally laundered Patty's sweater and brought it back to the room and hung it up in the closet and would not even take a tip that we tried to give her! Now that's first-class, elegant personal service. We really appreciated this type of service when employees at a hotel or restaurant go above the call of duty while on vacation and it shows that this hotel really cares about their guests experience and stay.
Our stay at Margaritaville Beach Hotel, Pensacola Beach, was way beyond our imaginations of how nice of an experience that we would have even though we had read all of the reviews and watched the videos on YouTube about the hotel before we left Kentucky. If you want a hotel with a "Million Dollar View" and you enjoy beautiful sunrises like I do, make sure you get a king gulf view room facing the Gulf of Mexico. You won't regret it. You'll probably find awe and inspiration like I did and your stay at Margaritaville Hotel might even help you forget life's problems for a moment like it did for me in this hectic, face paced world that we live in. http://www.margaritavillehotel.com/

"You Are Not Your Job. Your Job Is Just How You Get Your Money"-Dr. Wayne Dyer. R.I.P. Dr. Dyer, 1940-2015

"Sad to hear about self-help guru, Dr. Wayne Dyer's passing on Saturday. By listening to his self-help tapes in a pick-up truck while driving down the roads and highways in the mid-90's, he helped me get passed my ego issues of working in the service industry. Being a former newsroom employee and Ole Miss alumni, I thought I was too good to be working in the pest management industry at the time. He made me realize that we are not our jobs. It's just what we do to get our money and that the real person is on the inside. That's really who we are. He also helped me to understand the concept of metaphysics. In the late 90's, I wrote him a personal letter and explained to him about how he had helped me to be very successful in my pest management career. He then sent me a free autographed book and tape set in return. Dr. Dyer was a super nice man and extremely intelligent! R.I.P. Dr. Dyer. You will be greatly missed by your millions of fans."-Galen A. Smith Sr.

Remembering Those 70's Hit Songs As If It Was Yesterday

Time and space may change things, but on the inside (your conscienceness and awareness) you're always the same.

      That's why I think God gave us a memory so that we can reflect on those past seasons of our lives in retrospect in order to remember the good times. And I think one way that we can achieve activating those good memories is through listening those happy songs from the 70's especially for us "Baby-Boomers."  Listening to those happy songs from the 70's always brings back good memories for me.  Especially those songs of my youthful days of those endless summers when school used to start after Labor Day growing up in East Memphis, Tenn., and North Mississippi.  Nowadays with the event of the internet age, it's easy to go back in time. We are able to tap into those songs by jogging our memory with such internet tools such as YouTube, Spotify or Pandora.  I recently created a new Facebook page geared to our generation (Baby-Boomers) called, "Those 70's Hit Songs That You Can't Resist." https://www.facebook.com/pages/Those-70s-Hit-Songs-That-You-Cant-Resist/1518065575150089

    So if you want to take a walk down memory lane, just go on the internet and do a little research on one of favorite songs or videos and look for your top 70's favorite hit and post it on my new Facebook page.  Thanks and enjoy!