Now I ask you...

Have you ever, ever wanted to attend a school program when your child was not a student or you were not employed there?

The Political Buzz

I keep thinking that I ought to blog about the political activity that has inundated Austin, but I'm just not sure what to say about it. I'm probably the most apolitical person you ever met; I have to stop and think, "Okay, is the president a Demowhatsit or a Republithingy? So does that make me the opposite Party, or am I a Libertine?" I just don't know, and there's another line just below that.

Mind you, I vote. I do have strong feelings about that. I just think we go about it the wrong way. I have long maintained that we ought to be able to vote against any and all candidates - and if nobody got a majority the office goes unfilled and then we see if anybody notices. But enough of that.

What's got my teeth on edge is the uproar Austin has been in for the last month because of all the attention being paid to Texas by the hopefuls. I'm hopeful, too. I hope they all go away soon, but that's not going to happen. It became obvious that Texas was important to Clinton and Obama and then all heck broke loose.

First the big debate - held, of all places, in the the Rec Sports Center - the UT Volleyball Gym. This limited the crowd to a paltry few thousand and you would have thought the world was ending. I mean, the Drum was a few hundred yards away, and the only time they fill the 17,000 seats there is if UT plays A&M, or maybe a Hannah Montana concert (what's up with that?). If only two thousand people could be there, why did we dodge big charter tour buses all week? You would have thought this was Graceland!

Worse than the debate was all the clamor about who won? You know that when someone interviews Leslie about his take on the debate we are treading on very thin ice. Then each candidate held fund raisers and meet and greets; Hillary did about three simultaneously and Obama held a big rally down on Congress in front of the Capitol building. They are still arguing about how many streets they closed and how much traffic they snarled.

Not only that, they call the house all day. Hillary, Bill, Barak, Barak's wife, the fellow that once walked Chelsea's dog - everybody wants to talk to me about my vote. I am getting suspicious about that though. I tried to talk to Bill when he called, to tell him that was my grandson that he shook hands with in Lubbock a couple of days ago, but he was rude and didn't pay me any attention. He just kept right on talking, no matter what I said. That's no way to win MY vote Billy Bob!

But worst of all are the TV ads. How in the world did we get so important that it was imperative that these yo-yos buy up every available ad minute of every single day? I'm pretty sure that was Barak's wife out on the court with the UT cheerleaders during the K-State game last night. All the other cheerleader's signs said "Texas Fight" on them. Hers said "Hillary Bites."

Let's see. The Primary is just a week away. Surely things will calm done some after that. But it is a long way till November.

Celebraties I have met - Part III

Most other celebrities that I have met were from my radio days. I was working all alone one Saturday morning at KSTB in Breckenridge when a tall, bald-headed gent stuck his head in the door and inquired about one of the other disk jockeys. I told him he was off and he said, “Well, tell him that Johnny Horton stopped to say ‘Hi.’” I didn’t even know Johnny Horton knew there was a radio station in Breckenridge, let alone know one of the DJs.

It was also at the station in Breckenridge where I spent the afternoon with Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two. They were scheduled to play the American Legion Hall that night and since the station was sponsoring the show they came to be interviewed and play some songs to drum up publicity. He sang the same three songs over and over again – not wanting to expose the entire repertory before the show. I’ll bet Cash played “Ring of Fire” 15 times that afternoon.

I moved on to the “big time,” KRBC in Abilene when I went to school. They were equipped to do remote broadcasts and one Saturday night I was broadcasting a “Sock Hop” (that’s a ‘50’s euphemism for a dance) out at the Dyess AFB Youth Center. That’s where I met the famous “John Smith” and all the other equally famous “John Smiths.” They were members of the live band also playing for the event, and between numbers I attempted to interview them. I asked the leader what his name was and he said “John Smith.” Then I asked the next guy and he also said “John Smith.” So did the other two members of the band. I was puzzled, but after I started a record, the leader came over and said, “Are you trying to get us kicked out of school? We’re from ACC and if they find out we’re here we’ll all be expelled!” Of course, the thought struck me that I was using my real name! Turns out the leader was Ed George, later a distinguished member of the ACU music department.

Remote broadcasts at the West Texas Fair got me interviews with a number of recording stars. I remember Brenda Lee as a tiny person who wore a lot of heavy makeup. Connie Francis talked like the Nanny, but didn’t sing that way. Anita Bryant, the former Miss Oklahoma and Florida Citrus commission spokesperson, sent me postcards for years afterwards, telling me of her latest new album. I don’t know where she got my address – probably sent them to the radio station and they turned in a forwarding address after I left. I remember still getting them after I met and married Barbara. I had to explain why I was getting postcards from the most homophobic pop singer in history (but that was later).

I interviewed Bryan Hyland, the guy who sang “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.” He invited me to come out to the Sands Motel where he was staying and hang out with him the next day, since there was little to do in Abilene Texas. I did, and enjoyed getting to know the guy. He never had the same success with anything else he did, but he’s still in the business – he currently performs at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater on the strip in Branson, Missouri.

Pat Boone was in there somewhere. I met him through a relative when he was returning from Dallas where he had been filming “State Fair.” I know. You’ll have to Google it to have any clue about the movie. I later met his brother Nick Todd (trying unsuccessfully to make a career without trading on the family name).

And then there was Peter Paul and Mary in 1963. They were among the very first big-name performers brought to the ACU campus by the Student Council. This was another case of having the key to the back door of the auditorium and I was there for the sound check and backstage for the show. I remember asking Mary some inane question about the “purity of folk music” (as opposed to the commercial version they were performing). She is rather taller than I am and she backed me against the wall and talked down to me (literally) about commercial success being necessary to preserve the genre.

By the way, the defining moment of that concert was when PP&M asked the audience to sing the chorus to a song and the voices of the ACU student body and the unforgettable acoustics of Sewell Auditorium blew Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers away. They stopped playing and simply listened to the singing.

Celebraties I have met - Part II

As the family well knows, I have an old joke I tell whenever Elvis Presley’s name comes up. It goes: “I met Elvis three times. Twice before he died.”

I actually did see Elvis on three occasions, and spoke to him twice. In fact, the picture is a photograph that was autographed by Elvis on April 13, 1955 as I stood and talked to him backstage at the Breckenridge High School Auditorium. His autograph is on the back, along with those of Scotty (Moore) and Bill (Black), the guys he started out with.

This was in the very beginning of the Elvis saga; he was recording for Sam Phillips of Sun Records and he sang songs like “Hound Dog”, “That’s All Right Mama”, and “Blue Suede Shoes.” This was before Colonel Tom Parker, before the Ed Sullivan show, and before all the pelvic controversy. The three of them were touring in a big pink and white Cadillac; they all sat in the front seat and Bill Black’s upright bass filled the back. The next night they performed at Owl Park Baseball field in Gainsville Texas, and the night after that they did two shows in Stamford, Texas.

I suppose the picture is worth something to someone, but somewhere along the way it has become torn and the signatures have almost faded away. Plus, in order to sell it I would have to have it authenticated and I have no idea how to go about that.

I saw the three of them again at the gas station just west of the old church building in Breckinridge on Saturday, June 11^th of that same year. They had appeared at the American Legion Hall the night before (somehow I missed that show – maybe it was because I didn’t have a key to the back door like I did to the High School). This time they were in a pink and white Ford Crown Victoria. The pink Cadillac caught fire and burned in Fulton, Arkansas on June 5th – the Crown Vic was a car Elvis had given his folks and they quickly had to borrow. I didn’t speak to him then, but I did walk over to the station and gawked before they drove off. They were really crowded in the Crown Vic.

The next time I saw Elvis I was working for the radio station in Abilene. This was after he got out of the Army (by the way Rob, Colin Powell was quoted as saying, “He served his country for two years. I saw him in the field – I ran across him in the woods while he was doing what every other GI does…”). The station news director had learned that Colonel Tom Parker’s private rail car (he hated to fly) would be stopping in Abilene for a short time that afternoon, and he figured that if Colonel Parker was there Elvis probably was too. I don’t know how he found out about the rail car – probably from the Colonel. We drove down to the station on South 1^st street and walked up on the track; Parker’s car was the last unit on the train and he (Parker) was standing on the rear platform talking to a couple of people standing below.

The news director asked Parker if Elvis was inside, and Parker hemmed and hawed a bit and finally said he was. We asked if he would come out and Parker went inside for a while and then came out and said Elvis would join us shortly. He did, about 5 minutes later; it was obvious he had been asleep. He talked to us politely for a while; several folks asked about life in the Army, which he said wasn’t bad, and I asked him where he was headed, and after asking Parker where they were going, he said “Las Vegas.”

There was more to the conversation – at one point I told Elvis that I was a disc jockey for the local rock and roll station and that I played his records a lot. He said, “Thank you very much.” I know there was more said – we were there about thirty minutes before the train pulled out – but that was some 50 years ago and I can’t even remember what I told Mom this morning (so how am I so sure of the dates and facts above? Would you believe that there is an Australian website that has recorded every known fact ever unearthed about Elvis Aaron Presley?).

So there you have it. Me and Elvis. We were tight.

Next: A plethora of other Stars

Celebraties I have met - Part I

Austin American Statesman - February 14

Reveille VII retired
"Reveille VII is hanging up her leash at Texas A&M. The retirement of the purebred border collie and revered school mascot comes after seven years as the most privileged pet on the campus. The dog's advancing age and increasing appearance demands factored into ending her tenure as mascot. She had obedience training during her tenure for biting cadets and barking excessively."

Actually Reveille VII is just the latest in a long line of biting Aggie mascots. During a Lady Longhorn game in College Station several years ago, Daniel Viglione was preparing to inbound the ball from the end line when Reveille VI reached up and nipped her leg. She jumped onto the court and it took some explaining to keep the referee from calling a turnover. TV cameras later showed her examining her leg for bite marks (there were none) and complaining to a teammate. We lost that game, by the way - one bite to none. I don't know if VI had obedience training or not; at A&M biting Texas players is probably considered an outstanding character trait.

I actually had the honor(?) of doing sound for a wedding at which Reveille VI was in the wedding party. The dog marched down the aisle with the bride and her bridesmaids. You don't have to make up Aggie jokes, folks - they set themselves up. How many jokes can you get out of Reveille as a member of the bridal party? As far as I know, the dog didn't bite anyone during the wedding. We did keep a close eye out for other problems, though.

Next - "I met Elvis three times. Twice before he died."

Guest Blogger

Barbara became acquainted with Allan Stanglin when he was studying at Austin Grad. After 19 years as the Sports Director for KRLD in Dallas, Allan decided there was more to life than following the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys around the country, and is now the preaching minister at the Legacy Church of Christ in North Richland Hills, Texas. We follow his blog - usually for the insight he brings to some aspect of his ministry. This blog, however, deals with a domestic tragedy.

Be sure and read the comments - especially the 19th entry - a comment by MEL, and follow the YouTube link.

http://www.allanstanglin.com/?p=1081

And for my young readers: No gerbils were harmed in the making of this video!

Taxes... and other inevitabilities

Every year I tell myself that this is probably the year that I give up and take my shoe box of receipts and scribblings to a professional tax preparer. And every year I buy a copy of TurboTax and tell myself, "Well, I'll just rough it in and get a feel for the year and then I'll take that to the tax guy." And so far, after I've roughed it in - and polished it a little - and re-worked it a lot - and asked my friend the Tax Accountant about the really tricky stuff - I've filed the return myself. Maybe this is the year though. My goodness, there's a lot of new stuff to handle this year - Social Security and Teacher Retirement and self-employment tax and 1099-R Distributions, and Roll-Overs and Roll-Unders. Okay, I made that last one up. I think.

We have always itemized our deductions because we come out ahead when we do. It has always been a no-brainer because of charitable contributions. So I figured at the very least, I would do the grunt work for this category and have all that neatly wrapped up if I do take it to someone. That shouldn't be too hard, because we've kept meticulous records of all these transactions all year and that way we avoid situations like, "What do you mean you don't know what the $10 cash you gave in Sunday School class last January 28th was for? Didn't you get a receipt?" Or, "Hon, do you have any idea what this Home Depot receipt for $24.96 for a 'Geo Pass' was for, and why is it in the tax receipt envelope?" or "Why did you distribute this item for plastic Easter Eggs for the Children's Department in 'Charitable Other Non-Specific Out-of-pocket'? That should have gone in the 'Church Other Specific Non-Cash' category."

It took all day (ever notice the fantasy numbers on the tax forms where they tell you how much time filling out this form should take?) but the Charitable Contribution section is firm. Well, it will be if she ever figures out what that $10 cash in class was for.

Now. Does anybody know where you put the $12 property tax you paid to the Stephens County tax collector for owning .00084151% of an oil well?