Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority. - William Jennings Bryan

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Quick Rundown...

I've been working hard, keeping myself busy without school, out in the yard most of the day. You all will be glad to hear I got a big tree/bush kind of thing cut down, and found out there was a fence under there attached to my house. I've lived here almost 13 years, and never realized that. Who knew...

I've been running back and forth to Wal-Mart all day to get yard-stuff (I made a big hit going in there covered in woodchips and smelling like motor oil). I saw a big, older Lincoln with two Jim Webb bumper stickers, which was refreshing.

I watched the Today Show this morning, and their endless ongoing goodbye to Katie Couric, and I got to thinking; Why is everybody crying? The lady got a huge, multi-million dollar contract to be on nation television five nights a week. She's not moving to Bangladesh or anything. She'll be in-town. I think all the tearful goodbyes was a little over-the-top.

Okay, first, Harris Miller calls Southwest Virginians "people down there," and he doesn't like country music, but chooses opera? I'm trying my best to stay positive, but dear God...

On June 12th, Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) will break the Senate service record recently set by Senator Strom Thurmond (D/R-SC). On the 12th, Byrd will have served 17,327 days in the upper body of Congress. All I can say is wow.

I e-mailed the 9th CD convention specifics to Ryan at the Webb campaign and Greg at the Miller campaign yesterday, and I haven't heard anything back yet. I'll let you know, though.

Okay, I have to go to Lebanon tomorrow, so good night.

-Neal

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is not liking country music such a crime? I worked as a DJ for a valley country station for three years when I was in college and I don't like country. Of course I don't like opera either...

Neal said...

When opera is the other option, not liking country music is a downright sin...

:)

Melissa said...

Neal- Well, I don't like country music (although c'mon, my mom worked with and was close friends with Howard and Robin at DC101!) and my cousin is an opera singer in Italy.

Liking opera is not a crime. She's a damn fine singer and rather a success, if I do say so myself.

Be upset that he called you the "people down there" but don't be upset that he doesn't like country, but prefers opera. That's why there's differnt types of music. Harris is from Northern Virginia, and we're famous for liking "anything but country."

Neal said...

Well folks, remember that what I say isn't always 100% serious. It's his business if he likes opera. I don't care if he likes the Hokey Pokey on the xylophone.

But I come from a long line of country music folks. My great-uncle had three albums of mountain music out after age 90, my grandpa played on several early radio stations before the "big bang of country music" in 1927, my uncle played with Carter and Ralph Stanley from 1951-1960, my grandma grew up with Jim and Jesse McReynolds, my dad was signed for a time with Decca Records (label-mate with Ernest Tubb, Little Jimmy Dickens, Bill Monroe, etc.), and worked with Don Williams, Boxcar Willie, and Don Gibson. He opened a concert in Cleveland for Roy Acuff and for Elvis (before Elvis ever had a hit).

So I'm a bit partial.

But when I say stuff like that, I'm mostly being sarcastic.

I don't care if somebody doesn't like country, I do care, however, if they belittle it. It's as respectable as pop, rock, r&b, and, yes, even opera.

Ideally, a candidate understands our culture. Mark Warner understood it (NASCAR sponsored car, [I hate NASCAR, by the way, but nice thought]), Tim Kaine understood it (the frequent harmonica jams, particularly at Galax playing "Will The Circle Be Unbroken"). I believe Mr. Webb gets it. I don't believe Harris Miller gets it, and it's unfortunate. He's missing out on an important part of our state's culture.