Wagon Wheel

I found this gem of a live performance of one of the best Americana bands around. This is one of those songs that I could play over and over and never get tired of it. Enjoy!

Recommended: Lance Snacks!

Once again you'll find us not too far away today. The kind folks at BlogHer and Lance sent us a little care package recently. We're all excited about some of their new snack products and we'd like you to check them. So hurry over to our review blog and see how we hide Lance Sandwich Crackers all over our house!

Be back here tomorrow!

Recommended: It Ain't Easy Being Me

Today I was reminded of a song written and performed by Chris Knight. If there is some kind of soundtrack to my life then this would be the title track. All songwriters (and I still imagine myself as one), poets, writers, novelists, etc. will tell you there is at piece they'd wished they'd penned because it cleverly says something so incredibly well about themselves.

Up until the time I struck out into the world as a full-time acrylic painter I was a part of a local acoustic trio with friends Mike Merck and Andrea Christopher-Snipes. Playing about four years of two gigs a month together led to a pretty nice collection of songs we could perform. Even then it eventually would become somewhat of a drag to sing the old songs night after night...accept this one. For some reason "It Ain't Easy Being Me" struck a common thread between us as I am certain it will for many of you.

By the way, I never saw the video until long after Deep Fried south went on permanent hiatus. The filming at a demolition derby? Perfect!

Inspiration for this post came about through the discovery of a friend's songwriting talent! Be sure to check out Jennifer Harvey's blog as well.

Anthem of Love

I need to thank my PKS sister, Gretchen Peters, for sharing a link with Facebook this morning. Before you go and visit this blogger understand that it is a homily written for tomorrow's service at an Anglican church. And before you decide to not visit let me challenge each of my readers to cast aside their own spiritual beliefs (or non-beliefs) for the moment. The message written by this Catholic deacon is a brilliant piece about how those of us living with exceptional loved ones should feel. The very sad fact is that many of us experience the opposite: isolation, loneliness, and abandonment and not just that occasional case of the blues. We know way too many families who find themselves emotionally and physically (completely) defeated by special needs living.

The author's revelation is simple: none of us were ever meant to walk this journey alone knowing how difficult our paths will be. This is particularly true for those of us parenting a special needs child or those who have a disability of their own. As he points out Love "does not exist in a vacuum."

Now go and visit the deacon's blog and be sure to watch the video. This is a story of triumph - story that bears repeating over and over again. You never know when one simple gesture (in this case 36,000 simple gestures) will change someone's life.

Frogmore Stew
(Low Country Boil)

The folks over at PKSKids.net are putting together a cookbook as a fund raiser. Basically members of the organization have been asked to submit some of their family recipes. Yeah, I know. You've heard of this concept before. well this one should be a bit different given that we have PKS families located all over the world! I'm kind of excited to here how one prepares shrimp on the barbie in the Land Down Under. Now a recipe for haggis? Not so much.

Anyway, I thought I'd share one of my submissions with you today. With all this cold weather affecting just about everyone from Miami to Minneapolis I thought I'd try to warm your heart with a recipe traditionally served during warmer months here in the south.

There are several variations of this recipe that originated along the southeastern coast of the United States. Basically the difference in each region’s boil is the native seafood found in each southern state’s coastal waters. But several ingredients are always found in every boil: water, sweet corn, sausage, and Old Bay Seasoning!

For the record there are no frogs in Frogmore Stew. The funny name comes from the tiny Frogmore community on St. Helena Island near Beaufort, South Carolina. In fact some locals actually call it Beaufort Stew. The high brow folks in Charleston call it Low Country Boil. It really doesn’t matter what you call it other than delicious.

I have fond memories of eating Frogmore Stew almost every July 4th at my grandparents’ house in the mountains of northwestern South Carolina. My dad, grandfather, & uncles prepared our dinner next to the small lake on their property. This feast was the exclamation mark on a day filled with swimming, fishing, and fireworks. And let it be known that homemade ice cream sits well on a tummy filled with our native stew.

BASIC INGREDIENTS:
¾ to 1 cup of Old Bay Seasoning per 6 quarts of water
1 can of beer (your favorite)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
2 or 3 onions, quartered
Several lemons, halved
Redskin potatoes (depending on size, 3 or more per person)
Spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1 to 2-inch slices (¼ pound per person)
Fresh corn, broken into halves or thirds (1 ½ ears per person)
Shrimp (½ pound per person)
Melted butter
Cocktail sauce

ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENTS:
Crab, still in the shell but broken into pieces – we like Stone Crab claws
Scallops – we prefer the smaller bay scallops that have a sweeter taste
Clams – nothing better than the littleneck variety (cook in the shell)
Grouper or other hearty white fish.
My brother in Louisiana adds crawfish to his boil and friends in Florida add rock lobster tails to theirs.

PREPARATION:
Fill a large steamer pot halfway with water. Add Old Bay Seasoning (or more to taste) and the garlic. Squeeze the juice out of several lemon halves and throw them in. Pour in the can of beer. If cooking indoor use medium to medium high.

When the seasoned water comes to a boil, add redskin potatoes and boil for 15 to 20 minutes (don’t let them get too tender yet). Then add the sausage. Boil for 5 minutes. Now add the corn and boil another 5 minutes (Begin timing immediately! Do not wait for it to boil again). If you’re cooking crab or lobster you’ll add them in at this time as well.

Now add the shrimp and any other seafood. Cook for 3 minutes. If you added clams you’ll know it’s done when they open up. Drain the liquid before serving.

SERVING:
The “proper” way to serve Frogmore Stew is to have a picnic table covered with craft paper. Newspaper will do but it can get pretty messy. Pour the stew out onto the covered table and enjoy the feast! Be sure to have plenty of butter, cocktail sauce, more lemons, and plenty of paper towels.

Now some folks (mostly in Charleston or Columbia) have been known to actually use plates at fancier occasions like weddings and baptisms but true Palmetto State residents treat the boil like a pig pickin’ and just grab what they want off the table. It’s easier to socialize that way.

One cooking tip is to use a turkey fryer with a basket to cook with. This makes it much easier to handle the food while the water drains back into the pot. Obviously this is only an outdoor method of cooking.

Some Fine Noels

Last year about this time I listed the worst 10 Christmas songs of all time as voted by me. Having listened to just about every Noel ever written over the past two months (one local station started on November 1st - I kid you not) I think I have a clear idea now of what is still quite tolerable along with the the jumble of notes that make me change the radio station in a nanosecond. So this year, rather than gripe about how many times "Baby, It's Cold Outside" has been covered (for God's sake, it isn't even a Christmas song - it's about some dude trying to get into some chick's pantaloons) I'll share my personal favorites I enjoy during the season of smells & bells. In no particular order except for the last one here are them:

Celebrate Me Home by Kenny Loggins. Yes, I grew up in the 70s so I'm biased toward the music that I groped and necked to in the backseat of my 1977 Ford Thunderbird. It was a lot more fun when I had a date.

Please Come Home for Christmas sung by The Eagles. The one Eagles hit never released on a compilation album. I still have the 45 with the awesomely cool "Funky New Year" on the B-side. Some of our blog readers are going to have to ask their parents what that last sentence meant and if it refers to weaponry.

Where are You Christmas? sung by Faith Hill. I'm all about being a Grinch this time of year so I need the wonderful voice of Faith Hill to bring out the Cindy Lou Who in me.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sung by The Pretenders. There were no suitable videos available so this is James Taylor's version which is pretty darn good. But he's not Chrissie Hynde...the woman of my dreams. Sexy voice...still looks good in tight black leather...she's special (so special)! As an aside the best concert I ever saw was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta - Flock of Seagulls opening for Chrissie and mates.

Little Drummer Boy sung by Bing Crosby & David Bowie. Whoever had the bright idea to pull this out of a storage closet in some studio in Hollywood a few years back should be running the studio. This was an absolute brilliant collaboration between two of the most fabulous crooners of all time. As Bing says, it's a beautiful thing.

Same Auld Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg. I miss Dan. Too bad he got labeled a "balladeer" back in the day. Fogelberg was an incredible guitarist and played folk music in the mid-70s. Only Paul simon was still pulling that off. The guy had a way of telling a great story in front of a great tune.

Christmas Time is Here by Vince Guaraldi Trio. Any Chuck Brown music takes me way back to our home on Dickens Lane (how ironic). I got one of my most treasured presents when we lived there, straight out of the Sears Catalogue: a Minnesota Vikings replica uniform. I still have the helmet.

It's the Most Wonderful time of the Year sung by Andy Williams. Perhaps the 2nd greatest voice of all time. I'm not a big fan of New York city but when I hear this I want to be skating at Rockerfeller Center after a day of shopping on the town.

White Christmas sung by Bing Crosby. We in the south can only dream about this. Ironically my brother Cameron has experienced this twice while living in two of the least likliest places to get snow on Christmas: Beaufort, South Carolina (1989) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2004).

The Christmas Song sung by Nat King Cole. The greatest Christmas song of all time featuring the greatest voice of all time. I still have a hard time believing Mel Torme wrote this. Me and my brothers were not allowed to approach the Christmas tree until Mom had put this album on the stereo. Essentially this song was the signal for "Drivers, start your engines!" on Christmas morning.

So there you have it...my list of caroles and celebration songs. Tell me about your favorites either in a comment or your own blog post. Just be sure to link back here and leave a comment so I know to visit you.

A Gift from BlogHer & JCPenney!

We've been keeping a secret for about two weeks now. Recently our family was selected to receive a $300 gift certificate courtesy of JCPenney and BlogHer! To say it was a small miracle would be an understatement. The gift allowed us to purchase Christmas gifts for the kids and some much needed clothing for the family.

We really want you to read about our shopping experience but you'll have to visit our new blog, A Work of Art: Reviews. We've created a brand new site solely to review future purchases and shopping experiences. I promise it'll be worth the effort since you and your family might receive the same gift just for going there!

So go and check out the new digs and good luck! We hope one...maybe even more than one of our readers gets the next shopping spree at JCPenney!

Change for the Better!

I couldn't have expressed this any better. Go read this at Simply Nutmeg's place.

I have said before that this is not a political blog and I ask that the comments be respectful of the theme of it. There are ways to express your opinion without being condescending and disrespectful of others. A good example occurred last night when I discovered this link at a friend's blog. One out of about 15 other comments used a phrase that oozed belittlement at the other comments. Nothing fires me up more than someone assuming that I cannot reason intellectually for myself.

Ultimately the dialog was useless. Both of us hold a strong opinion about who we are voting for and there is no chance we will change each others opinion. But there was a better way to handle the disagreement. Making someone feel small for their opinion is definitely going to get the opposite affect.

If you are voting for Barrack Obama then please link up to Simply Nutmeg's place and continue the effort. If you disagree then so be it. Say what you want to say but don't do it in a way that will incite hateful responses or rhetoric. That is why this nation is so wonderful in the first place. We can exchange opinions freely without the threat of castigation for expressing them.

Keep in mind that there are other very important Senate and Congressional elections taking place. Those maybe even more important to you individually. Read everything you can. Cut through the BS and become informed about each candidates' true position of the very real issues.

Recommended: Drive-By Truckers


This band hails from Athens, GA just like their more famous predecessors, REM but in my opinion these guys (and one gal) are much better. If you're going to get into the latest greatest Southern band then this is the one. Think Tom Petty meets Lynyrd Synyrd meets William Faulkner meets Tennessee Williams. They kick ass.

Much of their work explores the deep dark secrets of the South weaving mythology and historical events behind an amped up Muscle Shoals rhythm. The lyrics are thought provoking and intelligent while the three-axe attack smokes audiences, soaring into the heavens to tip a John Deere cap to Gaines, Rossington, & Collins. With album titles like Pizza Deliverance, Gangstabilly, and Alabama Ass-Wuppin expect full-throttle mayhem.

My favorite song of theirs is "The Southern Thing":

Ain't about my pistol
Ain't about my boots
Ain't about no northern drives
Ain't about my southern roots
Ain't about my guitars, ain't about my big old amps
"It ain't rained in weeks, but the weather sure feels damp"
Ain't about excuses or alibis
Ain't about no cotton fields or cotton picking lies
Ain't about the races, the crying shame
To the fucking rich man all poor people look the same

Don't get me wrong It just ain't right
May not look strong, but I ain't afraid to fight
If you want to live another day
Stay out the way of the southern thing

Ain't about no hatred better raise a glass
It's a little about some rebels but it ain't about the past
Ain't about no foolish pride, Ain't about no flag
Hate's the only thing that my truck would want to drag

You think I'm dumb, maybe not too bright
You wonder how I sleep at night
Proud of the glory, stare down the shame
Duality of the southern thing

My Great Great Granddad had a hole in his side
He used to tell the story to the family Christmas night
Got shot at Shiloh, thought he'd die alone
From a Yankee bullet, less than thirty miles from home
Ain't no plantations in my family tree
Did NOT believe in slavery, thought that all men should be free
"But, who are these soldiers marching through my land?"
His bride could hear the cannons and she worried about her man

I heard the story as it was passed down
About guts and glory and Rebel stands
Four generations, a whole lot has changed
Robert E. Lee
Martin Luther King
We've come a long way rising from the flame
Stay out the way of the southern thing
(Hood/DBT)

Greatest Country Song of All Time.



This song was recently named best Americana Song of the Year. I've been listening to it since Hayes Carll released it back in the spring and it still cracks me up. Be sure to listen to the lyrics but the new video adds even more comedy (check out the Shroud of Turin bit near the end).

Disclaimer: this is satire folks. It's a parody of some hick goofball (to borrow a phrase from the song) who "don't have a clue." So if you get all bent out of shape and start preachin' expect the comment to get deleted. Or better yet, expect the regular readers here to jack you up.

The Most Important Blog Entry I've Ever Made

I implore you to read everything I am about to type very thoroughly before heading back out into the Blogosphere. In fact I would really appreciate it if you take this entry with you to either make a blog post of your own or just to link up to us. Honest to God it is not for the sheer sake of increasing the number of visitors here. The reason is that quite frankly, I am very worried. I'll even admit that we (our family) are scared. The reason (and don't wander away just yet)? The impending government bailout of Wall Street.

This is NOT a political post intended to bash one party or the other. Clearly both sides share some of the blame, nay ALL of it, for where we are at the moment. But the time to point fingers passed us by long ago. Again, don't go away just yet. The meat and potatoes are about to be served.

When President Bush spoke last week I got the very same impression that I did when he laid out his reasons for invading Iraq. I felt and still feel he used fear to seduce the American public into supporting his actions. I get the very same impression in regards to this 700 billion dollar mess we are fixing to inherit. Obviously senators and congressmen of his own party along with many Democrats feel the same since no deal has been made.

Yesterday over lunch, I told Joan why I am dead set against any sort of bailout. Honestly it is very difficult to articulate all of my reasoning. That is why I was thrilled that she sent me a copy of a letter written by her company's CEO, a long-time banking executive, that was sent to every elected official on Capitol Hill just two days ago.

I feel very strongly that each and every American with a voice, or better yet a blog, start some sort of action TODAY. Blog it! Call your representatives! E-mail them! Send this letter to all of your family, friends, enemies, anybody and everybody. Even though this is exactly my feelings, they are the words of Mr. John Allison and precisely the words our president, our representatives, the media, all of us need to hear (or read).

Again please read this and forward it as soon as you can!

Dear Senator/Congressman/Representative:

BB&T is a $136 billion multi-state banking company. We have 1,500 branches throughout the mid-Atlantic and southeast states. While we have been impacted by the real estate markets, we continue to have healthy profitability and a strong capital position.

We think it is important that Congress hear from the well run financial institutions as most of the concerns have been focused on the problem companies. It is inappropriate that the debate is largely being shaped by the financial institutions who made very poor decisions.

Attached are the issues that we believe are relevant from the perspective of healthy banks. Your consideration of these issues is greatly appreciated.

Key Points on "Rescue" Plan From a Healthy Bank's Perspective

1. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are the primary cause of the mortgage crisis. These government supported enterprises distorted normal market risk mechanisms. While individual private financial institutions have made serious mistakes, the problems in the financial system have been caused by government policies including, affordable housing (now sub-prime), combined with the market disruptions caused by the Federal Reserve holding interest rates too low and then raising interest rates too high.
2. There is no panic on Main Street and in sound financial institutions. The problems are in high-risk financial institutions and on Wall Street.
3. While all financial intermediaries are being impacted by liquidity issues, this is primarily a bailout of poorly run financial institutions. It is extremely important that the bailout not damage well run companies.
4. Corrections are not all bad. The market correction process eliminates irrational competitors. There were a number of poorly managed institutions and poorly made financial decisions during the real estate boom. It is important that any rules post "rescue" punish the poorly run institutions and not punish the well run companies.
5. A significant and immediate tax credit for purchasing homes would be a far less expensive and more effective cure for the mortgage market and financial system than the proposed "rescue" plan.
6. This is a housing value crisis. It does not make economic sense to purchase credit card loans, automobile loans, etc. The government should directly purchase housing assets, not real estate bonds. This would include lots and houses under construction.
7. The guaranty of money funds by the U.S. Treasury creates enormous risk for the banking industry. Banks have been paying into the FDIC insurance fund since 1933. The fund has a limit of $100,000 per client. An arbitrary, "out of the blue" guarantee of money funds creates risk for the taxpayers and significantly distorts financial markets.
8. Protecting the banking system, which is fundamentally controlled by the Federal Reserve, is an established government function. It is completely unclear why the government needs to or should bail out insurance companies, investment banks, hedge funds and foreign companies.
9. It is extremely unclear how the government will price the problem real estate assets. Priced too low, the real estate markets will be worse off than if the bail out did not exist. Priced too high, the taxpayers will take huge losses. Without a market price, how can you rationally determine value?
10. The proposed bankruptcy "cram down" will severely negatively impact mortgage markets and will damage well run institutions. This will provide an incentive for homeowners who are able to pay their mortgages, but have a loss in their house, to take bankruptcy and force losses on banks. (Banks would not have received the gains had the houses appreciated.) This will substantially increase the risk in mortgage lending and make mortgage pricing much higher in the future.
11. Fair Value accounting should be changed immediately. It does not work when there are no market prices. If we had Fair Value accounting, as interpreted today, in the early 1990's the United States financial system would have crashed. Accounting should not drive economic activity, it should reflect it.
12. The proposed new merger accounting rules should be deferred for at least five years. The new merger accounting rules are creating uncertainty for high quality companies who might potentially purchase weaker companies.
13. The primary beneficiaries of the proposed rescue are Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The Treasury has a number of smart individuals, including Hank Paulson. However, Treasury is totally dominated by Wall Street investment bankers. They do not have knowledge of the commercial banking industry. Therefore, they can not be relied on to objectively assess all the implications of government policy on all financial intermediaries. The decision to protect the money funds is a clear example of a material lack of insight into the risk to the total financial system.
14. Arbitrary limits on executive compensation will be self defeating. With these limits, only the failing financial institutions will participate in the "rescue," effectively making this plan a massive subsidy for incompetence. Also, how will companies attract the leadership talent to manage their business effectively with irrational compensation limits

More from blogs.

Here is a pdf version for e-mail.

A link to find your representatives.

A CNN quote from Republican Ted Poe, representative from Texas: Rep. Ted Poe of Texas said the "politics of fear" permeate the issue. "We've been asked to rush to judgment on this," he said. "The politics of fear seem to be everywhere in the capital this week: 'We have to get this done by a deadline.' I think not. I don't think that the American taxpayer should have a financial gun put to their head."

CNN iReports overwhelmingly say NO to the bailout!

Update 1: My God, the congressional democrats are wanting to add "pork" to the bailout plan! Like I said, both parties are trying to kill America's middle-class.

Update 2: Icing on the cake: my representative Rep. Bob Inglis cuts me off during a conference call after I sat and listened to his garbage for two hours. I've met him before - he just proves again what an asshat he is. Hey Bob's staff (who should read this), you might want to look for gainful employment soon. Bob will be out the door next time he comes up for election. Since you work for a douche bag for the moment you might want to put that on the resume'.

Update 3: Wanna know who to blame - besides our elected officials?

And Craig Ferguson has more excellent advice about the election.

Sara Benincasa is No Sarah Palin

But she's pretty darn close. Close enough to make you laugh your ass off. I want to thank Gwendomama for turning me on to these vlogs. If you haven't checked them out yet on YouTube then check out Sara Benincasa's blog where you can see all of them along with lots a fun information like how they were made, who was involved, and how the mainstream media is reacting to them.

My bet is that Sara, her writing partner Diana Saez, and the rest of their gang will soon be part of the cast of Saturday Night Live. If not then SNL is missing out on some huge talent. Here's vlog #2 for your entertainment. and I promise to talk about Aiken tomorrow.

Recommended: John Prine & Iris Demint



Let me first say that the weekend was flat out AWESOME! It was very hot, humid, dusty, and even tropical storm Hannah threatened to put her stamp on the 2008 Aiken's Makin' Arts and Crafts Festival. None of that matters when you have your best selling show of the year. In fact it actually topped any show I've done since the last time I was there two years ago! Aiken, South Carolina: y'all rock! Thanks for the hospitality!

Tomorrow you get a more detailed report of the past few days. Some things that happened since I last posted that I may or may not mention:

• I aged another year. That happened sometime on Friday. I can't tell you the time but maybe my mama can. For some reason I just don't remember that far back.
• I got to set something on fire - two nights straight! Okay it was just wood in a fire ring but I love sitting by a campfire after a long day on my feet. There's nothing more relaxing.
• I had a great show (see above). It includes selling the second most expensive painting I've ever sold. To the Reynolds family: I'd love to see more of that beautiful home of yours next year when I visit Aiken.
• I heard "In Spite of Ourselves" on the way home today. Two of my favorite songwriter/singers collaborated on a song that me and Joan adopted as our "theme song" once we heard it. And it's been four years ago this weekend that the last band/trio/combo/music group/etc. I was involved with (called Deep Fried South) performed it for a live audience. I hope you check out more of their music.

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the song and check back tomorrow.

Recommended



This is one of the tightest "band" performances I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of them. The video features two of my favorite music acts together on the same stage. You might remember Gillian Welch's voice from some of the music on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. She and her songwriting partner, David Rawlings, are joined by the Old Crow Medicine Show playing "The Weight" by The Band. To me this would be the kind of group I'd put together if I were still playing out in the pubs, bars, & honky tonks.

I hope you enjoy it so much you'll run out and buy a few of their CDs.

PS - OCMC and Gillian Welch are from New York...City. Not the South.
PSS - Now how cool is that? I reread my "PS" and it came across as "regionalist." I just think it's cool that folks in New York dig Appalachian roots music...like Bob Dylan did...and Levon Helms...and Gillian Welch...and me.

Dig This: A Hip-Hop Outlaw


Or perhaps a country gangsta would be a better term? I wouldn't classify Rap or Hip-Hop as one of my favorite genres of music and I would say that is mainly due to the fact that I didn't grow up in a huge metropolitan area. Over the years though I've gained an appreciation for it particularly when it is blended with other music forms that I enjoy more.

An excellent example is the Aerosmith & Run DMC remake of Walk This Way back in the 80s. Just a few days ago I posted a link to Steve Earle's performance of Satellite Radio. It's a rather unique combination of Earle's excellent steel guitar picking backed only by a beat box DJ. And in recent years two bluegrass bands have performed excellent covers of some funky African-American tunes. Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs, and John Anderson did a remake of Rick James' Superfreak while The Gourds recorded Snoop Dogg's Gin 'n Juice.

Today I had my proverbial sitting cushion kicked old school. It seems the aforementioned Snoop Dogg has gone country and it's damn good! Snoop is definitely one of the Hip-Hop artists Joan & I listen to. The guy is obviously intelligent, clever, and has a great sense of humor. A few years ago I read an article where he stated that he really liked country music - not necessarily the modern flavor of the week in Nashville but the guys on the cutting edge. The Outlaws.

Well Snoop De-Oh-Double-Gee has put his money where his mouth is...literally if you understand the gist of the song. He teamed up with Everlast (aka Whitey Ford) to write a country song including performances by Willie Nelson and Brad Paisley. Ironically I've always considered Snoop Dogg to be the Willie Nelson of Rap music for obvious reasons.

The song includes a tip of the hat to Johnny Cash and part of the video was shot on the front steps of the shack located on the Cash estate that was turned into a studio. Johnny's American series, his last 6 albums, were recorded there. In research for this post I found out that Everlast has covered Folsom Prison Blues which will appear on his next album. Also I found a video of Snoop being interviewed by Conan O'Brien who asked him about calling Johnny Cash the original "gangsta." Dogg's reply was perfect by saying (not verbatim) all those guys back then would walk into a bar, get involved in a brawl, and after getting out of jail would write a song about it. That's about as gangsta as it gets.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have (Joan's already requested a download).

If you have trouble using the YouTube link above then click here.

Recommended:
South Bound Mary

I'm thinking that whenever I'm in town on the weekends (which is rare) that I'll use my Sunday morning post to introduce some culinary delight that the Wahs occasionally enjoy. I'll have to admit that I enjoy this little recipe whenever I'm at an art show with The Bomb Squad, so named because we tend to get "bombed" when we're all together. This group includes quite a few of those artists listed over to your left under that heading titled The Guild.

Generally speaking Christy Buchanan (soon to be famous via Southern Living) serves as bar tender. Christy is old school and would never lower herself to purchase all of her ingredients pre-mixed. And I wouldn't be surprised if she shows up with a blender at the Banner Elk show next month to show off her Margarita-making skills. But that's another story that seems to be a bit foggy at the moment.

South Bound Mary is the bloodiest Mary south of the Mason-Dixon line. It's a combination of Savannah-influenced presentation with a Texas-sized kick to the esophagus. If the Gates of Hell open up somewhere near Columbia, SC like most of us from South Carolina believe this is the drink you'll want to be sipping on while you're there to keep old Lucifer at a distance.

Here are the ingredients:

• Burnett's Lime-flavored Vodka - yeah, I know there are other fancier names out there but we're not sipping on Grey Goose straight up. We are about to mutilate Russia's equivalent to iced tea into something that could make a fine bug repellent.
• Finest Call Loaded Bloody Mary Mix - I used to be a Zing-Zang guy myself but I still had to add some of the stuff that Finest Call includes and they got it all. Real tomato juice (with the seeds), Jalapeño peppers, onion, garlic, horseradish, cracked black pepper, and lemon juice. I've been tempted to marinate some ground beef in this stuff, bake it, and name it Meat Loaf to Kill Your Ma-In-Law With.
• Tabasco Smoked Chipotle Pepper Sauce - as Jed Clampett used to say on The Beverley Hillbillies (one of the finest dramas to ever appear on television I might add), "EWE-EEEE-DOGGIES!" For chicken wing aficionados this is your ticket, right here. I peppered me some burgers last night and had to break out the Preparation H this morning.
• Worchestershire Sauce - and you thought we Southerners couldn't spell "wooster sheer sauce" (sauce is pronounced with two syllables).
• Pickled Okra
• Large Green Olives (optional)
• Small Dill Pickles (optional)
• Mild Banana Peppers (sliced) - you can choose hot; it's your digestive system so you can do anything to it that you want.

Preparation: it depends on how drunk you want to get but my suggestion is to use about two jiggers of vodka (equal to two shots of Jägermeister) for every 12 ounces of mix although I usually don't mix like this. I go by what it looks like as in, "this looks like it's gonna be a pretty shitty day so let's add more vodka" or, "I'll keep the vodka in the car and if it looks like your parents are gettin' on our nerves we'll add more."

Add a dash of "wooster-sheer-sauce-a" and a couple of dashes of Tabasco. Don't dash too much of the latter unless you want your family to move out for a week or so. Throw in the sliced banana peppers and shake. Don't stir it because it'll end up looking like a redneck parfait. If'n your spouse has some respectable chest ensembles then get him or her to do it for some added entertainment.

Now some folks like olives or celery as a garnish. We suggest use use the celery with the aforementioned chicken wings. You're gonna need it. I like the little dill pickles and olives just in case I need a weapon after Joan makes fun of my chest ensembles after shaking the mix. The pickled okra is not optional if you want a true Southern experience. This would be like not eating the worm at the bottom of a bottle of Mescal. Put your okra (pronounced "okree"), olives, and whatnot on a toothpick and shove it down into the mix. After your first drink bite the okra in half and return it to you glass before you refill it. Finish off the okra after it has soaked some more. Ewe-eee-doggies!

Now if you'll excuse me I'm headed out by the pool to enjoy my South Bound Mary while I read my new book, Weird Carolinas. This coming week you can look forward to a book report, a magazine review, and more cute pics of Ben. Hopefully next Sunday you can copy my recipe for my Dirty Old Man Martini...

Later on in the afternoon addendum: Please go visit Looky, Daddy today. He has something very funny and outstandingly (is that a word?) clever to share. It made my day!

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I was introduced to Steve Earle via my good friend and recording studio bassist Marty Harrison way back in 1987. At the time I was still with Jackyl and had more than my fair share of heavy metal. Listening to his Copperhead Road album was really the first step toward me
abandoning my dream of being a rock and roll star. Despite the obvious hard rock influences in his work the other band members honestly just didn't get it.

About that time I also started listening to the "outlaws" of music in general. I discovered hidden music treasures like Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt, Waylon Jennings, and Billy Joe Shaver. They all had a way of making kick-ass music mixed with some very cool ballads but their lyrics were far better than the stuff I had been feasting on at the time.

This made me dive further into my own "roots" music. One of my biggest regrets is not sharing an appreciation of Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash with my father. Both discoveries occurred after his death.

I very rarely listen to commercial radio. Instead I prowl the channels of my satellite radio for music Rolling Stone or Billboard aren't paying attention to. I love the Soul Music channel (The Temptations, The Ohio Players, The Isley Brothers, James Brown), the Blue Collar Comedy Channel, 1970s hits, and of course the ESPN stuff. By far my favorite is The Outlaw Channel which features stuff from Elvis Costello to Hank Williams, Sr.

My point is that everyone should explore music beyond what corporate America wants you to hear. I'm convinced there are plenty of talented local acts near you that want and need your support. And there are truly even more talented singer/song writers like Steve Earle and James McMurtry out there who still want to change the world.

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Only cool people and ninjas go to Ask a Ninja. And hot chicks. So go there. NOW!!! And LYAO!