Comments by Bobby Tony | Eastern North Carolina Now

Comments by Bobby Tony

Thanks for the comments and thanks to Stan for the automatic notification when someone comments on one of my older articles. At 77 years old, I realize that I am probably far out of touch with the various local venues for aspiring entertainers, but I can’t help but wonder if there are still troubadours touring the country in small bars, VFW clubs, or Bowling Alley entertainment rooms. My time on the beer trail was full of such joints. It was a time when entertainers drove in cars, Greyhound, or trains, or parhaps with a guitar strapped over their shoulder and a thumb in the air from town to town honing their talent. Many never made it to stardom but a few like those mentioned in the comments did and we are all the better for it. As Stan said, Gordon created songs that will never be forgotten until we too pass. There are those who say, like the old blues singers, you can’t write a sad or inspirational song until you have lived a sad or inspirational life. I don’t know if that is true but thank God that these songs were written.
Thanks also to Andrea Hayward Nickerson for your parent’s participation in those days of yore. Atlanta is a city that doesn’t hold much to maintaining historical buildings. I have not been by the old Bistro site in years, but I do occasionally visit The Varsity -1928- which is not far from there. I will be sure to drive by and see what a atrocity has been built on that lot.
Commented: Friday, May 5th, 2023 @ 6:55 am By: Bobby Tony
Merry Christmas to you too Stan. Best Wishes for continued success in the year ahead.

Bobby Tony has not left the building he is just hiding.
Commented: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 @ 5:08 pm By: Bobby Tony
December 8, 2021 UPDATE
I received a private message with some corrections to this article. See Below: Thanks to Sharon Powel for this correction. I have removed her Email Address for privacy reasons.

Hi, Bobby!
I just ran across this article by you , and wish to thank you! There are, however some discrepancies that I would love to let you know about. I know that you don't won't be editing this article, but, I have spent many, many years straightening out misunderstandings on behalf of the Hall's actual owners. The club was never owned by Jack Tarver, but he did run the club under a management contract, as did Alex Cooley prior to Jack's tenure. The owners' names are Robert Dulong, and Maurice Ehrlich. Bob is still around, but Mo passed away a couple of years ago.
The reason we closed was that Broadview Plaza was bought by a development company which determined that a disco would be better placed in our location and did not renew our lease. We had to scramble to find a new location, and we staff members worked hard to get us moved. I would be happy to help with any future articles, or to answer any questions you may have.

Sharon Powell
Commented: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 @ 12:40 pm By: Bobby Tony
I don't understand what all the hub bub is about.

Bobby Tony
Commented: Tuesday, May 4th, 2021 @ 9:30 am By: Bobby Tony
There is something remarkable about a teacher who can still invoke pleasant memories almost 60 years after we left his class. Some would call him eccentric, but I have come to the realization that he knew very few of would be chemists, but he did know that some things would stick if presented with a bit of mischievous humor.

Eccentric? no Authentic YES!
Commented: Friday, April 9th, 2021 @ 11:24 am By: Bobby Tony
If you were born with or developed a deep sense of humor over the years, it is possible that you may have found laughter in Rush Limbaugh’s over the top presentation. It is a thin line indeed when a comedian can convey a point and yet still make it funny. George Carlin was one of the best to do that, yet he too became a bit too enamored with his own opinion that he lost a bit of his humor.

Rush was not a comedian, but a committed conservative who under stood that sometimes the medicine goes down with a spoon full of sugar. If you agreed with Rush it was hilarious to see his hyperbole infuriate the liberals. If you disagreed with Rush and had actually developed a deep sense of humor over the years (see above) you could see he was tweaking the very thing that he often said. Liberals don’t have a sense of humor.

I was not an avid follower of Rush on the radio, but I did occasionally listen during some long windshield times on the road. I always had the feeling that his face had a constant wink flashing on and off with every over the top comment.

I am not one to say someone is looking down or looking up after they pass. That is between them and the Lord. However, if in fact Rush is looking, he may be having a chuckle watching the Liberals try to marginalize him or even go to the point of proving that they don’t have a sense of humor by making inappropriate comments about his death.

Had President Trump had 1/10 the talent of Rush, he may be having a second term. And therein lies the beauty of Rush’s unique talent. Drunk Zealots of all stripes should remember that there is a ditch on both sides of the road but the fun is weaving around while still sober and enjoying the ride. Rush apparently did that.

I am sure many would be shocked to find that Bo was so big.
Commented: Thursday, February 18th, 2021 @ 11:35 am By: Bobby Tony

Commented on Free to Choose

You May be correct. I still find him as the interloper who recovered a Republican fumble and ran for the goal to score a touchdown. However his four years was based on just that one play. He is irrelevant to me now because almost all of his changes can be changed with a ‘STROKE OF THE PEN’ as they were create. His failure to build a consensus within the Republican party created the vacuum that allowed way too many knee jerk emotional voters to fill. I suspect he may revert to his old Democratic ways once his political ambitions are dissolved and reenters the world of real estate and entertainment.

If I may carry the football analogy a bit further, As an Atlanta Falcon fan, I have watched brilliant plays and 1st half’s deteriorate into losing one losing season after another. They have never been able to build on a solid foundation.

While I don’t consider myself a Republican, you could never tell from my voting record. As a libertarian, I have never been able to rationalize why both Republicans and Democrats talk a good game and continue to increase government interference with our individual liberties. Essentially the battle is now and has always been between Urban and Rural citizens. Urban societies are required to depend on some entity to provide basic services like trash, water, and sewage, etc. It is a simple matter to fall into the trap of “Letting others handle it.”

"The mobs of great cities add just so much to support of pure government as sores do to the strength of the human body. I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America. When they get plied upon on another in large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe." Thomas Jefferson.

The Republican parties challenge is to forge a self-reliance based on individual values while at the same time realizing that we are increasingly an urban country. That is the danger facing our society. We have delegated too much to the Government and too little to the individual self-responsibility for our own fate.
Commented: Thursday, February 11th, 2021 @ 4:42 pm By: Bobby Tony
I doubt it would have changed things, but these 52 words would have been much better if published prior to the Wednesday Capitol Demonstration on January 6, 2021.

Of course, the text will be interpreted and parsed by the media due to the capitalization of the ALL as a further denial by the President that he still does not condemn the rioters specifically.

"In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind. That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You.” The White House Official Site

www.whitehouse.gov
Commented: Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 @ 2:28 pm By: Bobby Tony
One of the first lessons I learned years ago bellowed by some old grunt Sarge was “it is what it is!” Unlike the Military, Politicians don’t apparently have a problem with “leaving someone behind” when their usefulness has ended. Their horizon is solely based on 2,4 or 6 year increments.

What I think is no longer relevant to the past election.
Once again Hollywood makes the point better than I could.

youtu.be
Commented: Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 @ 11:09 am By: Bobby Tony
Donald Trump is now or soon will be irrelevant except for those on the left who want to put a stake in his heart and those on the right who cannot except reality. He is now reaping the crop that he in a large part sowed and cultivated. Regardless of the manner or legality of the election, he lost, it has been certified, and the next curtain for the next act is being raised. The actors are in place and the show continues.
As Shakespeare said:
“This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” MACBETH. Shakespeare
The challenge now, is for some political party to rebrand its self-using the foundation of freedom, respect, compassion, Fiscal responsibility, limited Federal control and equality of opportunity for all. The politics of group think & Party allegiance has produced this tribalism which is counterproductive to any sense of a self-governing society.
Most people are reasonable as individuals but irrational as a group, mob or movement. Even Hollywood knew that.

youtu.be
Commented: Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 @ 8:41 am By: Bobby Tony
Call me a cynic, but one of the safest things you can do in Washington DC is to have an affair. Since everyone else is doing it you have a good chance of it not being revealed. The media and your comrades will hide information for fear of being exposed themselves. However if it ever becomes a headline, the hypocrites will abandon you as quick as they can.

My old man always said about such things as this “Don’t worry boy, when the Crap hits the fan, there is always plenty enough to go around!” (he used a different word)
Commented: Wednesday, December 16th, 2020 @ 6:35 pm By: Bobby Tony
I agree with the basic principle of this editorial, however it presupposes that people make rational decisions.
My old mathematics professor said something to the effect:
1. “If you want to give facts use numbers,
2. If you want to make an impression use percentages!
3. If you want to tell the whole truth show the formula.”
The truth is that most people rarely make a real risk assessment when making a decision. They rarely use 3 above but make judgements based on a gut feeling. They also rarely know the probability before they embark on a course. In every case listed in the article above the action was taken based on a worthy goal worth whatever they perceived as the risk. I am coming to the belief that many of us Americans no longer have a worthy goal other than to just survive.
I use a variation of this chart quite often when I am trying to make a comparison of risk. My goal is of course to stay away from the last one. Even I know the numbers aren’t in my favor.

Commented: Saturday, December 12th, 2020 @ 4:03 pm By: Bobby Tony
It's amazing how that six-string monster can be conquered in the right hands. I guess it's a lot like golf. In the hands of some the club and instrument doesn't matter. In the hands of a master, the club and instrument carries the performance to the next level.
Commented: Monday, December 7th, 2020 @ 10:36 am By: Bobby Tony
Phase 4: There is no evidence that there was election fraud.
Commented: Friday, November 13th, 2020 @ 11:46 am By: Bobby Tony
Phase 5: That's old news, it time to move on.
Commented: Friday, November 13th, 2020 @ 11:45 am By: Bobby Tony
The secret is to live to fight another day.

Thus Center Mass is the prescribed target area, or as Mel Gibson said in "The Patriot"

AIM SMALL MISS SMALL

I say that as a person who no longer owns a gun having passed my collection down to my son. I would rather RIP if needed, than have any more bad nightmares with what could or should have been.
Commented: Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 @ 8:27 am By: Bobby Tony
Right On Alex. It is a well-known fact that only The Lone Ranger can shoot the pistol (knife) out of the bad guy’s hand. Contrary to all the western scenes we see in movies, don’t be fooled. They are all trick photography. The Lone Ranger’s is real, I know I saw it myself on TV.

Lash LaRrue was pretty good with his bullwhip, but he only had a limited range.

To paraphrase Bo Uecker’s quote on the best way to catch a knuckleball.

“The best way to disarm a man is to pick up the weapon after you kill him.”

Sounds a bit harsh, I know, but have you ever heard a bullet whiz by your head? You know they travel faster than the speed of sound, but it’s better to look back on an incident than to look up at one from six feet down.
Commented: Tuesday, November 10th, 2020 @ 4:56 am By: Bobby Tony
I’ve simplified it for my old arthritic hands. C Em Am G7. The rest pretty much the same. Once you get the 6/8 Roll rhythm down it’s like an old 50s song. 123-4-56

youtu.be
Commented: Thursday, November 5th, 2020 @ 7:24 pm By: Bobby Tony
It never fails. When one of these Icon's pass, I do a deep dive on YouTube and find numerous songs that I never knew they made. That is particularly true with song writers. I stop buying albums and CD's years ago and as a result only knew the hits for some. I have often thought that the best songs were the B-Side of a single or lost in the 12 or so tracks on an album.

Since I am guilty of over analyzing everything, I don't doubt that GEMS will not appear until they pass should I still be alive when that occurs.
Commented: Thursday, November 5th, 2020 @ 3:48 pm By: Bobby Tony
Here's one you should learn from my favorite Liberal singer. I can overlook just about anything Willie says because, well because... who wants to take advice from a Pot Head. He is however a very good entertainer. (for the record I've never had a joint in my life. 2nd hand high as close as I ever got)

youtu.be
Commented: Wednesday, November 4th, 2020 @ 11:23 am By: Bobby Tony

Commented on

Guy wrote some great songs. Here’s one that had a bunch of collaborators. The Guitar. Will send chills down you or up your back. And his buddy Verlon can’t be beat when it comes to guitar work.

It sure beats listening to election returns. I can wait until tomorrow to get the post op.

youtu.be
Commented: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020 @ 8:20 pm By: Bobby Tony

Commented on

Just posted a Jerry Jeff Walker Icon post. He and Guy Clark (writer of LA Freeway) were buddies back in the day.

I'm sorry to see these icon pass but it sure beats the early deaths of some of the Rock Stars from the drugs. You recon the type of music provided a level of protection because I'm pretty sure most the recent deaths in their 70s & 80 partook as well.
Commented: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020 @ 5:18 pm By: Bobby Tony

Commented on

This one maybe just a bit over the line, but that’s where Jerry Jeff played.



youtu.be
Commented: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020 @ 4:20 pm By: Bobby Tony

Commented on

My Davy Crockett days have long since passed, I have prepared some soapy water to pour on The driveway. Wheel chairs and canes have a hard time on slippery surfaces. I’ve got my boom box ready just in case.


youtu.be
Commented: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020 @ 4:00 pm By: Bobby Tony
Many Including Jefferson (who is also my favorite President) felt that the Louisiana Purchase was unconstitutional without an amendment, but the deal was too good to pass up so he took a gamble. In essence he used the end justifies the means which I don't think is in the Constitution. However I would defer to Diane's more informed knowledge on the subject.

"Jefferson took a strict, literal view of constitutional powers, meaning that specific powers reserved for the President and Executive Branch needed to be spelled out in the Constitution. The ability to buy property from foreign governments was not among these powers listed the Constitution – a fact that his political opponents, the Federalists, were eager to point out to the President.

Instead, Jefferson considered a constitutional amendment the only way to conclude the deal with France. “The General Government has no powers but such as the Constitution gives it,” he wrote to John Dickinson in 1803. “It has not given it power of holding foreign territory, and still less of incorporating it into the Union. An amendment of the Constitution seems necessary for this.”

However, Jefferson had no intention of losing the deal with France. “In the meantime we must ratify and pay our money, as we have treated, for a thing beyond the Constitution, and rely on the nation to sanction an act done for its great good, without its previous authority,” he told Dickinson."


constitutioncenter.org
Commented: Monday, October 26th, 2020 @ 1:05 pm By: Bobby Tony
With the possible exception of George Washington, all presidents after him look upon the constitution as nothing more than a temporary Road Work Ahead sign in the way to accomplish their goals.
Does that make me a cynic? I SUPPOSE SO.

Commented: Sunday, October 25th, 2020 @ 12:56 pm By: Bobby Tony
As old Abe Lincoln said: "There's a sucker born ever minute!"


Once Brainy Quotes does a Web crawl this quote will appear in their list of Brainy Quotes. I know that because there must have been someone who followed old Abe around and wrote everything he said knowing that sooner or later there would be a search engine that they could sell it to.

www.brainyquote.com
Commented: Sunday, October 25th, 2020 @ 9:36 am By: Bobby Tony
I usually try to credit Quotes to the author if I know who it is. Unless it is a particularly funny or profound quote, then I take credit or say that's what my father always said. You know, just keep it in the family.
Commented: Tuesday, October 20th, 2020 @ 11:09 am By: Bobby Tony
I admit that sometimes, I may be a bit too quick to form an opinion, but generally I give people leeway on what they think.


youtu.be
Commented: Monday, October 19th, 2020 @ 12:38 pm By: Bobby Tony
Alex, you may have a point there but some would say there was a missed call way back in 1978. I had a NO fan tell me they missed a holding call on that play that would have called back the Hail Mary pass. As a Falcon fan, I always thought it was going a bit too far to name the pass a Hail Mary particularly against New Orleans Saints


"Today, in fact, marks the 36-year anniversary of what some believe is the most infamous play in club history: the Atlanta Falcons "Big Ben" Hail Mary that beat the Saints 20-17 on Nov. 12, 1978." Quote from the link below.


www.nola.com
Commented: Sunday, August 16th, 2020 @ 11:30 am By: Bobby Tony
"The worst Non-Call in NFL history occurred near the end of the New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Rams playoff game on January 31, 2019."

Now you have gone and done it. This is sure to create an argument complete with numerous examples of worst calls and non-calls. Other than that everything makes perfect sense.

It might even start a new organization "The Who Dats Matter"
Commented: Saturday, August 15th, 2020 @ 11:35 am By: Bobby Tony

Commented on

What goes around comes around. This little tune is from 1959, but it never knew how bad it would get because it has a bit of humor in it.

youtu.be
Commented: Wednesday, July 8th, 2020 @ 3:50 pm By: Bobby Tony
In my work career, I have been in plants that produce almost everything that we humans consume. The old saying about not wanting to watch how sausage is made is true of almost everything we eat, including vegetables and the ever popular American Hot Dog.

Your article is right on point, It has indeed been a strange year (and years since 2016). I must admit I still cringe at the boorish behavior of the President and his over the top tweets, but I attribute a good bit of that to the New York persona. Highly populated Urban Environments tend to put a hard edge on people while living in a fantasy land like Hollywood tends to erode the cognitive cells of even the most bleeding of hearts.




"Hey, I'm walking here!"

In a way is it possible that without men like Georgie Patton and Douglas MacArthur we may be speaking German or Japanese today. Neither of them had a penchant for Politically Correct grammar.
Commented: Wednesday, January 1st, 2020 @ 11:39 am By: Bobby Tony

Commented on

It may all depend on just how large those "occasional nut shell pieces" are when they complete the cycle on the way to the Sewage Plant.
Commented: Wednesday, January 1st, 2020 @ 11:29 am By: Bobby Tony
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