Comments by Bobby Tony | Eastern North Carolina Now

Talent not required, not even an audience.

Commented: Monday, December 4th, 2017 @ 10:33 am By: Bobby Tony

There used to be a joke in the military about medals and honors. The story was that a soldier was recommended for the Medal of Honor but the Commander downgraded it to an a$$ chewing.

Like the rebel statues issue, perhaps all that is required is a footnote for relative innocent information. If the information is more serious then perhaps an addendum added to the proclamation. In more severe cases perhaps a preface before the narrative.

You cannot erase history. Somewhere and somehow, there will always be a record of the original gift without the revised information. Correcting the record at the original source may be the only way to properly show context.

I suggest that most of these awards simply be downgraded as needed.

Commented: Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 @ 6:28 pm By: Bobby Tony

As someone who has the vocal range of at least 1/2 an octave, I have always been amazed at Mel's ability to span the range of several octaves almost effortlessly. Here is a link to him and Ella singing nonsense, but doing it very well.

beaufortcountynow.com

Commented: Saturday, December 2nd, 2017 @ 3:11 pm By: Bobby Tony

Okay, I confess. The first thing I look for is the age of the recently departed. That pretty much sets the tone for my day.

Commented: Friday, December 1st, 2017 @ 9:55 am By: Bobby Tony

I agree about the mortality. I have always known that I was in the Double Jeopardy! Bonus Round for 49 years and counting.

I'll Take ALIVE & WELL for $1000 Ted.

Commented: Thursday, November 30th, 2017 @ 10:47 am By: Bobby Tony

Just a passing thought, but I think that before they invade N. Korea they should require each infantry woman to date a North Korean. After the breakup there will be no problem with motivation to kill those lousy ba$tards.

Commented: Wednesday, November 29th, 2017 @ 7:48 am By: Bobby Tony

May a bit too long for the comment section but here goes.

Actually, I thought you were expressing others feelings about Asians and Indians. That is a common belief and perhaps true as genetics is a complicated science. We may one day find out that all our preaching about equality is not supported in science. I may once again have to revise my biases.

Yes, I did attend segregated schools. My home county, DeKalb, in Georgia did not integrate until the middle to late 1960s. My pre-teen years were in the City of Atlanta where there was literally a railroad that separated the white from the colored community. It was not always that way. Sometime in the 1950 the other side of the tracks became predominately colored. To solve the problem the city simply changed the name of a road. On the white side the road was renamed Oakdale Rd. After you crossed the railroad tracks, the road continued to be its original name. Whitefoord Avenue. (name changed in 1960)

Within the course of a single day (or perhaps hour) the average southerner could interact with some of the most wonderful genteel people and immediately interact with some of the most despicable who ever walked the face of the earth.
I have written several stories of what I took as a normal childhood that in retrospect illustrate what a dysfunctional society I lived and grew up around.
Most southerners have never reconciled the fact that their relatives fought on the wrong side of the civil war. They are able to make the great leap that it was not about slavery but about rebellion over the North took advantage of them. The entire economic system of the plantation life was based on taking advantage over others for economic benefit.
A good many southerners have a mental list of numerous things that justify the civil war, which usually starts with "most did not own slaves" and ends with "most slaves were treated well." It would be so much easier if we could just admit. "Hey, we were on the wrong side of history and humanity."
As much as I loved being raised in the south, I know that you have to suffer to some degree schizophrenia to properly understand the history and allure of being a southerner. How else could we have developed so many great authors like William Faulkner, Pat Conroy, Tennessee Williams, James Dickey, Margaret Mitchell and of course Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
Most of us have our own version that justifies our puritanical excess. In The Scarlet Letter's preface, Hawthorne actually alludes to this history, taking blame for the actions of these ancestors and hoping that any curse brought about by their cruelty will be removed.
With your experience with the Catholic school, you no doubt know the drill. Confession is good for the soul. Hail Mary x 3 (this is not criticism of the Catholic religion, it works)
Yes, the South is a wondrous land and culture, but it has had its flaws like any other society. Ali was a separatist who bought into the segregationist culture as espoused by Malcom X, yet he was instinctively a affable man who was rebelling against his life in Louisville, Kentucky.

Commented: Sunday, November 26th, 2017 @ 5:51 am By: Bobby Tony

Part of the problem may be trying to think and type on this small keyboard at same time. It is more than this addled brain and arthritis fingers can manage.

Still in back seat enroute.

Commented: Saturday, November 25th, 2017 @ 10:39 am By: Bobby Tony

Here is a Sparks Notes summary of the book which might encourage someone who is suffering from grief to read the complete book.

www.sparknotes.com

Commented: Saturday, November 25th, 2017 @ 7:59 am By: Bobby Tony

I once heard a lecture on Affirmitive Action where the speaker proposed that the best affirmitive action you can take is to get off your a$$ and do something; anything. As simplistic as it sounded at the time the speaker went on to discuss that it was not the system that was responsible for results, it was the participant.

He ended with the quote.
"It's the set of the sail, not the direction of the wind that determines your destination!"

Or as the old farmer used to say.

"Every tub rest on it\s own bottom."

I agree with both Stan and Alex. I want my next surgery if needed to be performed buy a rich, happy doctor, who could have quit working years ago but loves his job so much he would do it for free. (OK I made up that part about free)

Commented: Friday, November 24th, 2017 @ 10:23 am By: Bobby Tony

Since the top 50% ($8.6m AGI) pay 97% of income tax collected and only 36% of filers itemize, we can not have a tax cut without cutting tax on the rich.

I think our system is complicated precisely because politicians like to argue % paid rather than actual dollars paid. See table for both actual $ and percent. By my simple math, I would rather take 10% of $8,000,000 rather than 50% of $1,0000,000 but what would I know. Hell look at the selfie and you can tell I am not the brightest bulb on the tree.

Everyone thinks the rich should pay more if defining “rich” means anyone who makes more than me.

taxfoundation.org


Updated from iphone excuse errors

Commented: Thursday, November 23rd, 2017 @ 11:42 am By: Bobby Tony

Like all simplifications there is more than meets the eye. Assume W-2 is AGI income from 2016 tax. Investment and Dividend income is at different rate. Granted this is overly simplified which indicates the difficulty with tweaking the current system like they are trying to do. That is why I prefer the Fair tax.

In the Calculator enter the AGI (line 37) from you 2016 to get an idea of the impact.

Commented: Tuesday, November 21st, 2017 @ 8:45 am By: Bobby Tony

I don't think they were selling their souls, perhaps something a bit more physical. We are all "W's" it is just question of price.

Commented: Thursday, November 16th, 2017 @ 7:41 am By: Bobby Tony

Somewhere in this scenario there is parallel to my mom's admonition.

"Be sure to wear clean underwear, you may get in an accident!"

Commented: Wednesday, November 15th, 2017 @ 9:49 am By: Bobby Tony

If you don't know who Red Green is, you may be missing out on some laughs. Here is a preview of the book that might whet your appetite. ( I have not commercial interest in this book)

Scroll down for the first except The Eternal Question

books.google.com

Commented: Monday, November 13th, 2017 @ 10:19 am By: Bobby Tony

Thanks to Alex for putting some meat on the bones.

Commented: Wednesday, November 1st, 2017 @ 11:22 am By: Bobby Tony

I hope the reading audience will forgive two aging (or at least one) gentlemen's walk down Memory Lane.

One of my Favorite songwriters was John Stewart formerly of The Kingston Trio. He wrote a song shortly before his death in 2008 about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. If it is possible to transport ala Star Trek, this song does it for me regarding New Orleans.

"I never Got To see New Orleans" John Stewart
Here is a Video someone made using the song as background.

youtu.be

Commented: Tuesday, October 31st, 2017 @ 8:40 am By: Bobby Tony