Southern Rock, Random Thoughts and CIAA Football

Just got home from seeing Charlie Daniels. I might not agree with all his politics but I sure love his music. Charlie might be old but he can put on one heck of a show. His band was outstanding and his drummer was the best I have ever seen live. Thanks to Blue Ridge Electric for hosting us.

Chancellor Peacock from ASU was there, I can't believe he showed up with out the three trophies. I wonder how he is going to handle all three at the football games this year. I guess he could wear one on a chain around his neck or maybe make it into a hat.

Oil prices have dropped by $25 a barrel and yet it doesn't make me feel a lot better. I know all it takes is one storm in the gulf or Iran making Hawk like sounds and it will go back through the roof.

I was in Baltimore for a workforce conference this past week. It is amazing how much money is spent trying to get people to go to work. There are training programs everywhere and jobs that need to be filled and no one to take them. One of the instructors asked me if I thought that people would move 200 miles to take a good job if the opportunity presented itself, I told him I didn't think so. I think we are spoiled and many of us want someone else to take care of us. What heppend to personal responsibility.

The predicitions for the upcoming CIAA football season came out on the 24th ( I think) and my sons school Chowan University was picked to finish sixth in their division. This is Chowan's first year in the conference and while I think they are going to be improved it is hard to argue with the pick. The team is young and doesn't have a great deal of depth. This being said, I think there is a chance for them to surprise some teams. I saw more determination and discipline in the spring than I saw all last year. I think Coach Place will make a difference and I think Coach Nesbit is top notch. Two things need to happen to make this program take off. The coach needs more athletes and they need to upgrade their facilities. The school has a rich heritage in sports and I think it can be rekindled. I hope to be able to help in this effort over time. Meanwhild Go Hawks! I will be the fanatic in the stands yelling even if the game isn't going the way I want.

Lesson's I Need to Learn

As I watched oil prices go bonkers again today, I took a moment to step back and think about a note that a dear friend sent me many years ago. She wrote "May God grant you the courage to change the things you can change, the patience to accept the things you can't and the good sense to know the difference." My friend is no longer with us, lost to a senseless act in the early 80's. I know this wasn't her original thought, but if I could only learn to take this advice, my life would be a lot less intense.

I get fired up over many reports I read and tied up in knots over the idiocy of the world. I then step back and say this must stop and I proceed through the day trying to tackle the challenges that are within my control. How can I help some of our local businesses hire more people, can that empty building be re-used, can I help this new business get of the ground. Who is on my side and how can we make things better.

It doesn't change the problems of the world but it does in some small way help make my little corner a little better. Maybe if everyone takes this approach and tries to make their corner better and think about what helps the whole instead of how can I get ahead, we can change the things that are not under our control.

At least that helps get me through the day.

Post 1 Do I feel safer today?

I consider myself to be a patriotic American. I can't however for the life of me decide how I am any safer today than I was prior to our weak congress and our hawkish president taking away a large slice of our civil liberties.

I am of course talking about the bill that Mr. Bush gleefully signed into law today. This law as I understand it allows the FBI to acquire wire taps without due diligence and without probable cause. If they want to listen my conversations or read my emails, they don't need a reason, they can just do it. I have heard a lot of people say that this isn't a problem if you aren't doing anything wrong. I disagree. Any time we willingly give up personal liberty and due process guaranteed under the constitution, we are weakening the very thing that made this country the envy of the world.

I think the congress and the President are responsible for this erosion or our rights. I can't not vote for this President again but I can and will never vote for anyone or support anyone who for the sole reason of trying to get re-elected, vote against their convictions for such an obviously subversive law.

I can't blame the President, he just continues to travel down the road to perdition that he has followed for the last 7 years. I can blame a democratic majority that doesn't have enough spine to stand up to a tyrant and do the right thing. I am ashamed to be a registered democrat and I will change my registration ASAP.

I guess I have vented enough for today. I hope you will come back to my blog in the future.
I intend to write about the things of which I have a passion. My family, the sports I love and this country. I am proud to be a Tar Heel, and American and a Patriot. I just don't have to like where we are headed.