Charlotte, NC

Man, you’ve gotta be kiddin’ me!!
I mean, I thought this racism crap was pretty much over and done with! But, now, with our first African-American President-elect, it seems the slimy maggots who advocate that junk have wriggled their way out of the dung of the past and are tryin’ to infect us again! It’s even happened here locally … but I’m not gonna give ‘em even a word of publicity by tellin’ what happened or where. They don’t deserve it!

Now, I don’t haveta worry about them readin’ this post, considerin’ that, collectively, they have the intelligence to only understand four-letter words, but, if ya wouldn’t mind readin’ this to them, it’d be appreciated.

FACTS ABOUT THIS RACIST NONSENSE:

They call themselves true Americans, and are sooooooooo dead-set against terrorism. But, with each threat, with each mock “lynching”, with each intimidating tactic, these clowns are breaking a FEDERAL LAW!! It’s called TERRORISTIC THREATENING!! And the punishment, especially as it applies to hate crimes, can and should be severe!!

They say “White is Right” … but can’t prove it. Why? ‘Cause one color is never “right” over another! But they try to “prove” it with violence — thus, shooting their own “theory” in the foot (if not three feet higher).

They glorify the pomp and pageantry of everything from the Confederacy to Nazism without realizing what they’d actually put up with if they were part of the original causes: filth, searing pain, days without sleep, incessant thirst, sweat, mind-numbing fear — and the haunting eyes staring from the dead — those of friends, neighbors and perhaps family — lying around them. Day after day, week after week. Insects crawling over open sores, and nowhere to immediately “relieve” themselves.
Hmph … if anyone who fought in those wars could see these idiots now, they’d probably laugh themselves to death. Right or wrong, what these men went through would turn these would-be “heroes” into little boys callin’ for their mommies …

Now, if someone can prove that other races are “inferior” … and I mean intellectually prove it with facts and figures … then let’s see ‘em. Here. I’ll print ‘em, okay??
If not, KEEP YOUR BIGOTRY, YOUR HATE, YOUR TERRORISTIC CRAP TO YOURSELF! I …

oh. wait … just thought of somethin’ …

Hey, ummm, racist people?? Have … have you ever been in an accident resulting in serious injury? (hmph … sound like one of those TV lawyers!) Ever had an operation? Anything that … well, required a blood transfusion??
Well, guess what, my misguided, neophytic cretins?? There’s about a good chance that the blood you received … ummm, came from an African-American!
Understandably, the American Red Cross won’t give precise stats as to which race gives what percentage for two reasons: because each city differs in ethnic density (some lower, some higher), and to ward off … er, “purists” (don’t make me gag!) like you!
At any rate, you know what that means, don’tcha?? It means you’ve got the blood of the race you hate, running through your very own system, right now! So, lemme ask ya … do you hate yourself??

Think about it. For once, crack a book without some skinhead peerin’ over your shoulder (remember … I usedta be a cult member decades ago, and, brother, this racist junk is nothing more than a brainsucking cult!), study other races with an open mind, and make decisions on your own! You just might find yourself coming up with a different conclusion … one that’s sensible!

Start with The Bible (always a good place to start). Hint: The first part follows the Israelites, the last with the life and lessons of Jesus …
a man …
who wasn’t white!

FANTASTIC!!!!

With the new election on the horizon, it’s awesome to see that, finally, the youth of this country are making a significant dent in the political machine!

For years, we (of a prior generation, and in our youth) had fought (demonstrated and protested) to have a voice; the Establishment seemed to roll over us, thinking of us as just a bunch of pot-smoking, lazy juvenile delinquents.
And we couldn’t understand how we could be drafted (ie, forced) into an Army, sent overseas with rifle in hand to kill — and die — for something we didn’t believe in, yet, upon our discharge, not be allowed to vote because we were “too young”.

Thankfully, all that’s changed.  But, although young voters will be pouring into the booths this November, there are still some issues that need to be addressed: 
For example:  Our young people still can be sent overseas with rifle in hand, to kill — and maybe die – in a war they don’t believe in.  Others are filling our colleges — magnificent minds that, if actually heard and taken seriously by the government and most adults, could literally change the world!!
But, if they want to purchase anything from a simple beer to a singlewide trailer …
they’re too “young and irresponsible.”

That’s bull …trouble here) BOVINE DEFECATION!!

Years ago, a band from New Jersey called The Knickerbockers recorded a song called The Coming Generation (you can either download it or look for the old 45 RPM record, on Challenger label, called LIES. It’s the flip side of that record.) that tells what we’d be doing as we grew older.

We hold the future in our hands, the band sings. Now, if that’s the case — and, considering we’re infinitely more progressed in our world today — why don’t we treat our young people with a coupla new ideas:

Like, RESPECT AND TRUST??

Look … they know the rules. They know the responsibilities. And they have more common sense and knowledge than you think! And, come November, they’re gonna be totally influential in electing our new President!

And that, people, is a fantastic start! And, once the new Prez comes into office, let’s hope he appreciates those votes … those voices … and starts makin’ changes in favor of young people around the nation …

’cause they honestly deserve it!!

WATCH THIS!

No, it’s not a magic trick … unless you consider transforming your frustration over the old, stuck-on-your-cuff, occasionally-running-on-time wristwatch into something new, sleek and always accurate a magic act!
Actually, it’s not. But, in just a moment, you’re gonna visit a spot that’ll provide you with such amazingly-accurate and sharp-looking timepieces that you’ll be checkin’ your wrist often — not so much to find the time as to just admire your new watch!

But you’ll get a lot more than just a “watch” when you go there! They also offer (a)the lowest prices — they’ll even beat competitors’ prices by 4% or $12!, (b) 30-day Easy Return policy, (c) free sizing, (d) free shipping on orders over $130, (e) secure on-line shopping, and much more!

So go ahead — give your wrist (and yourself) a treat (or someone else — remember, Christmas isn’t that far away!) by clicking on the link that’ll take you to the fantastic world of Seiko watches.

Believe me … time will be on your side soon!

Normally, I don’t watch a lot of TV these days — mainly due to my schedule as blogger and The Rock Relic.  But, last night, I just had to make time!

The Emmy Awards were more than glamor, fashion and fancy speeches this time; by God, it actually showed a bit of personality and heart!
By now, we all know who won and who didn’t, but there were some dynamite highlights:

For example, when Tommy Smothers won an Emmy on behalf of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  Natch, he rambled like the “confused kid” he portrayed for so many years (in reality, Tom has a keen business mind and is quite intellectual).  But he did something that, common for the Smothers, is uncommon in awards shows:  He spoke “PEACE”:

“It’s hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war. And there’s nothing more scary than watching ignorance in action,” he said, dedicating his award to “all people who feel compelled to speak out, and are not afraid to speak to power, and won’t shut up and refuse to be silenced.”

Then, a bit later, they had a reunion of all the surviving cast of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In … and, although the camp might be wearin’ a bit then, it was worth it all just to see Gladys Hornby and Earnestine back in true form!
Their set looked as if it’d been saved from the original show … and the audience loved every minute of it!

Now, while they also had the inimitable Mary Tyler Moore and Betty White to announce Best Comedy Series — and what an honor it was to see these two legends back together again — the show outdid itself when the Matador’s March started playing.  The audience, both TV and live, knew that it could only signal “Mr. Warmth”, Don Rickles was coming to the stage! 
Surely enough, he came out along with comedienne Kathy Griffin, who yelled to the audience, “GET UP!  Get on your FEET!”  After a lengthy standing-ovation, Rickles went into his routine (part teleprompted, part ad lib) and had Griffin in tears with laughter!  Not a small feat … but only he could do that!  He won two Emmys last night, btw.

I hope everyone had a great time watchin’ the show.  If ya wanna talk more about it or have any remarks, just leave ‘em in the Comments section here.

But, for now, I’ve gotta run (loads of work to catch up on).  So I’ll see ya tomorrow, okay?

As you probably noticed in today’s Observer, Charlie Adams (head of North Carolina High School Athletics Association — or NCHSAA if ya don’t like a mouthful of words) has recommended that their board of directors make lacrosse a sanctioned school-wide sport for the ‘09-10 academic year.

Hey … why not??  It’s popular around the world, and has a tremendous history dating back to the Native Americans in the 18th Century (at least)! And, quite frankly, it’s not any more dangerous than football or soccer … in fact, it gives the players a workout that other sports don’t give them!

Now, some schools do have lacrosse clubs, but they’re not sanctioned by the NCHSAA … if they were, they’d have more assistance and provision by the Association.  It can be handled in much the same manner as the sanctioning of soccer or any other ball game, for that matter.  All it takes for the Association to sanction is to have an open mind, realize that this is a tremendous exercise for the kids, and has great educational value if you look into its history ( for example, didja know that Native American tribes like the Choctaws would use the sport to determine its best warriors?).You can learn more about the game and its history by going to its Wikipedia page.

GETTIN’ THE WORD OUT 

Face it … we all like to brag a little. right?  Whether it’s about our company, who we’re voting for, our favorite bands or whatever, we wanna get the word out there for others to know about.
It’s called “publicity” — and there’ve been many  ways of providing it.
But the best is still the promotional items, where your/your company/concerns’ name or logo is printed on various items for sale or handout.  Everything from successful business to elections have been built by this method over the years.
And there’s one spot that delights in providing you the greatest selection of promotional merchandise, and can imprint your logo or name on anything!  They not only have the lowest prices for this selection (a salesperson dreams of finding a place like this!) but also will even beat any competitor’s price!
In fact, they’ll even help you create the promotional look you need! 
And I can’t think of even one place in the Yellow Pages that’ll do that!!

Listen … with the new school year upon us (and who wouldn’t wanna brag about their kid, their class or their team?), an election coming up and holidays right after that, it’s a great idea to show your support with great promotional products. Just click on that link I just gave you — and get ready to show your pride to the world!

Well, the verdict’s in …
A few clicks back, I ran a sorta-controversial rant about the dangers and evils of college drinking (remember? It’s supposed to curb binge-drinkin’ in dorms??).
Natch, a lotta collegiates came to the issue’s defense (and, Charlotte, from what I read, we’ve got some extremely sharp young folks in our midst. Ya just gotta be proud). So, since my alter-ego, The Rock Relic, has an international following, I contacted a few of ‘em (to be precise: two in UK, one in Israel, two in Japan, three in Canada and one in Denmark) to find out what they thought about this. How was under-21-over-18 drinking handled in their neck-of-the-world?
EVERY ONE of these said that we’re makin’ somethin’ outta NOTHIN’ here! LOWER THE DRINKING AGE TO 18!! Give them the responsibility and they’ll live up to it!!

One of them (the reader in Denmark) said that “the biggest insult you can hand a young person is to look down your nose and tell him, ‘you’re not big enough to handle this’. For Gods sake let them show you how responsible they really are”.

So, to all you bookpeople — whether you’re a frosh or senior — the Relic/Chuck/Eagle/Whatever owes you an industrial-strength, heavy-duty apology!

Since I’m a little short on time (but BIIIIG on workload) right now, I’ll get back with you all tomorrow.

For awhile now, I’ve been gettin’ e-mails from around the nation and California about our little neck-of-the-woods — as well as about this site and its writer.
And now’s the time to answer ‘em — and I’ll do it in three special posts two that’ll be included next month along with the regular ones, and one that we’re gonna do right now!
Now, I’m gonna do this in the same way I did with THE FORE INTERVIEW: The questions are gonna be written here just as I received ‘em. They’ll be in the italic print, with my answers in bold:

“Why would anyone want to move to Charlotte anyway? It’s like every other big city.”

Man, you’ve gotta be kidding! Why would people wanna move here? Well, let’s see: better living conditions, more available opportunity (notice I didn’t say “jobs”. There’s a BIG difference!), friendlier hometown people, and the best education a kid could possibly get!
And “like every other big city”?? Lemme tell ya a little secret: We were the FIRST to proclaim independence from Britain back on May 20, 1775 — almost a full year before the Declaration of Independence was signed!
“… like every other big city”?? Read the next question …

“What’s in Charlotte that other cities don’t have?”

Hmmm … have ya ever had Lance crackers (you know … those little six-cracker cellophane packs)? Or shopped at Family Dollar? Or do ya bank with Bank of America? Sure, other cities have those, but we’ve got the headquarters of ‘em all!
Or how about some of the best pet care in the nation? One of the largest number of churches per capita? And Pineville’s known as one of the antique capitals of the nation!

“I have a friend who’s been to Charlotte. He says it’s to (sic) rushied (sic — I assume he means “rushed”). How can u live in a place like that?”

First, I’ve chatted with you before, on one of my other blogs, so I know you’re from a small town in Missouri. You’re not used to a fast-paced, progressive citizenry. That’s not knocking your neck-of-the-woods (I personally enjoy the “laid-back” style), but, y’see, Charlotteans are busy going somewhere with their progress! And they’re determined to get to where they’re going!
We have our peaceful, laid-back times, too (just check out Freedom Park, the neighborhoods around The Plaza, Matthews and Pineville for proof).

Now, I’ve got more of these questions comin’ up in September, so stay tuned …

COFFEE TALK IS BACK!!!

Yep … the column that I wrote for The Pineville Pioneer, Pineville Pilot, SouthEast Charlotte News and read weekly in three other area newspapers from 1986-’93 is back … and on the web with new editions every day of the week!
The only differences are that (1) it’s no longer “hard-copy” and (2) it now takes on a national scope!
BTW, the first major ish gives a nod to Pineville, where it all began. Now, you can find (and bookmark) it at Coffeetalk.today.com, and you’re all invited!
Matter of fact, why not leave yer comments and ideas on it? What I wanna do is use your thoughts and concerns as topics as we go along. (And, yes, for this, I’m pullin’ out my old Eagle get-up!!)
So, as I usedta say in the intro of the old column, “C’mon in … the doors always open!”

Okay … I was wrong on many points, but right on others.

A coupla days back, I wrote a piece intended to address the issue of colleges allowin’ their students to drink at 18; their goal is to curb “binge” drinking.

But (yes, I’m gonna print a partial retraction here, so hang on) …

After sendin’ a shout-out to mates in the UK, France, Germany and Australia, I do see a different picture. Stephen Weiss was right when he wrote:
“Nearly every other country in the world has the drinking age set at 18 or lower. We appear foolish to most because of our high drinking age - how can you have a country where you can be sent to war but can’t drink to your victory? Seriously, people laugh at us. A lot of people.

Most of these places also have much fewer problems with drunk driving, alcoholism, and binge drinking. My years studying in Germany did involve alcohol - significant amounts, yes. However, I also learned there how to moderate my drinking and keep myself from making a fool of myself, a skill they pride themselves on. Students are shamed by their peers for being bad drunks. I’m not sure they’d even know what binge drinking would mean if they had the term.”

That’s true! Apparently, the 18-21 bracket, when given the right to drink, does become a bit more responsible in doing so — especially if they do it in a peer-monitored atmosphere.
One thing that I noticed: Stephen said “Students are ashamed … for being bad drunks.” Unfortunately, not all young people are as responsible as that. That being said, I’ve got a question:
While it’s true that college students are responsible and self-regulating, there are thousands of others who aren’t. So how would you propose enacting this (should it pass) to provide a like positive effect to those? Lemme know, okay?

Now, Joe had a different, but highly logical, slant on this:

“At 18, people become an adult and are therefore afforded the rights associated with adulthood… voting, smoking, the right to enter into legal contracts, the right to join the military and die in Iraq, but wait… oh no they can’t drink because they will BINGE DRINK AT COLLEGE OM*G.”

I spoke with two servicemen — one who just returned from Iraq, and one who served during Desert Storm — and they said, “He’s RIGHT! It doesn’t make any SENSE!” One went so far as to call it a form of (his words) “prejudiced censorship”!
and to think that I was callin’ for the same thing … geez …

If a man or woman is old enough to fight and die “for his/her country”, then that person is old enough to drink. PERIOD!! I remember the days of “power-to-the-people” (the great “rights” movements of 1968), when we demonstrated, protested for the cause of and sang about freedom, equal rights and peace. We said exactly the same thing then (although, as Joe pointed out, you now have rights we didn’t have: “vote … legal contracts …” etc.). I shoulda thought it out a bit …

Now, I’m not gonna say I’m totally wrong, ’cause I’m not. But I’ll discuss more about this issue (and also add more of the comments!) tomorrow.

But, for all of you who’ve written, thanks. You’ve opened up my eyes a bit. And, if it’s any consolation, my international friends are unanimous: You guys give more thought to a subject than most. Keep up the good work …

I’ve gotta get on to my other work (my alter ego is The Rock Relic), so we’ll continue this tomorrow, same station — and about the same time!

The response has been overwhelming …

and, quite frankly, it’s brought me cause to study each comment carefully before writing any further dissertations on the subject. However, sometime tomorrow afternoon, I’ll address this situation again and use in-context samples of these comments within the post itself.

Now … for you who think I’m being somewhat whimsical in my prose style, I hope you’re satisfied with the way I penned the above.

‘Cause, y’see, it just ain’t my style! (I’ll explain in a minute, okay?) Look … I’ll admit that I didn’t think the whole shebang through before gettin’ these paws on the keypads. That’s why I wanna take some time to read … no, make that study (BIG difference, right?) whatcha said.

So, just hang on until sometime tomorrow afternoon, okay? And, listen: Thanx for the comments! Keep ‘em comin’, and I’ll put ‘em on here! In fact, I’ve got some hard-copy newspapers who’d like what you wrote, if I can get your permission to send ‘em!

ABOUT THIS “WRITING STYLE”

Now, let me get heavy for a moment: I took journalism, writing, drama, etc. in colleges and schools over the years. But I’ve also been a DJ, an audio producer and a syndicated columnist. This “dialoguish” writing style — patterned largely after the way a person verbalizes in informal situations — has garnered readers around the world and Pineville for my product.

Now, if you want the “Queen’s English” (I think the “King’s English” means usin’ words like Elvis, huh?), I can do that. But (as many of you know already) the best way to relate to others is to be yourself! And I’m as informal as a plate of grits on a cool Sunday mornin’ at mama’s breakfast table.

One more thing before I get off here and start readin’: NONE of our collegiates are, in any way, shape or form, “children” (other than the obligatory title used by the parents of these students) or “kids”. In fact, they should be respected for taking the steps to further their education and learn more of the intricacies of life’s processes! After all:
To THEM we entrust our FUTURE!

‘Nuff said. More tomorrow … be sure to tune in …

Man, are they SERIOUS?!?!

By now, you’ve heard that certain colleges want to lower the drinking age to EIGHTEEN! And why?? ‘Cause they wanna end “binge” drinking on their campuses! Now, how do they do that?? By makin’ it lawful for ‘em to get plastered at a younger age! (Ummm … is this makin’ any sense yet??)

Hey … it doesn’t matter if they’re 18 or 118 (well, that would matter! In fact, it’d be a miracle worthy of a guest shot on Letterman …): If people wanna binge drink, it doesn’t matter what the rulebook says: They’re gonna do it!

But college presidents from around a hundred U.S. universities (yep, including Duke!) are wantin’ lawmakers to cut the guzzle-age down. They say the laws that are on the books now actually encourage binge drinking on campus.

Ummm … HOW?? Is it the thrill of breaking the law?? Or is it because security and regulations are so lax at these schools that they can get away with it??

Oh … wait a minnit: “binge drinking” … “on campus” … are we hearin’ special-interest here? In other words (and correct me if I’m wrong), change the law so this or that specific school can benefit? What about high school seniors who are 18? Or drop-outs?

Look: Research has found more than 40% of college students reported at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence. In fact, one study says that more than 500,000 full-time students at larger colleges suffer drinking-related injuries each year and about 1,700 die in alcohol-related accidents!

So whatcha wanna do — up the odds a bit?? Try this one:

Federal records show that 157 college-age people, including those under 21, drank themselves to death from 1999 through 2005!

Still wanna change the law??

Y’know, it’s crazy! I’ll be the first to admit that I usedta chug, drug and bug-out (been totally sober for 28 years now! Y’can thank my then-year-old son for that. Write me if you wanna know how …). I wasn’t a pretty sight when drunk (okay, okay … I’m not even when I’m sober. But at least now I can take it … lol). The effects of alcohol on a young person (I’m talkin’ about the psychological effects. You know the rest …) can … no, are (whether in short or long-run) devastating!

So, IMHO, there should be NO WAY that we pander to these colleges, risking the life-and-limb of innocent drivers, children, and others … just so their school won’t have their students doin’ some “binge drinking” on their campuses (psssst … it’s gonna happen anyway, so the “new law” wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans!).

I wanna thank a special person here: Years ago, I had the pleasure of communicating with HHS Director (now University of Miami President) Donna Shalala who served under President Clinton. She’s one of the most outstanding, genuine and child-safety-oriented people that’s ever held a government post! And, God bless her, she’s refused to sign this petition! She says (and we’ve gotta admit, she’s right!)
“I remember college campuses when we had 18-year-old drinking ages, and I honestly believe we’ve made some progress. To just shift it back down to the high schools makes no sense at all.”

One more thing: Is it just me, or does anybody else see some irony here?:

We’re tryin’ oh, so hard, through TV ads and local/state regs, to get our kids to stop smoking. We say it’s “bad for their health” or “they can die from it.” But …

WHY IS DRINKING UNTOUCHABLE??

I mean, I’ve yet to see a fatal car crash, a woman beaten or killed, a child hurt … just because someone had “too much to SMOKE!” No, it’s they’ve had “too much to _____” (fill in the word)! So why not protect the kids from that??

Yes, smoking can kill you — over time. But drinking?? It can be instantaneous!

Giving the 18-year-olds the right to drink is like puttin’ a gun in their hands and askin’ ‘em not to pull the trigger! If anything, there’s a crying need to discourage that.

Let’s hope the lawmakers decide against these “special-interest” colleges …

for the kids’ sake!