Nooks and Crannies

Last Monday, Feb 25th, was a beautiful, warm day to ferret out some more nooks and crannies. We got an early start (yes, I was up early) and headed northwest on I-24 toward Nashville. Our destination was the University of the South, also known as Sewanee University in Sewanee, Tn., and to also pay a visit to Jack Daniels. Sewanee is an Episcopalian university established in 1857 by Gen. Leonidas K. Polk and others. For years prior to that, families in the South sent their sons north to receive an education -- there weren't any significant universities in the South. The trouble was their boys "came home filled with all sorts of Yankee ideas"! Gen. Polk and friends donated 10,000 acres (now 13,000 - mostly forest) atop the Cumberland Plateau and began to build their university out of the native sandstone and in the fashion of the old English schools such as Oxford University in England. According to a clerk we conversed with, the enrollment now is around 1,500 students. Anne and I were both simply stunned when we got there and drove around. First of all, it sits high atop a mountain in the middle of nowhere. The buildings are all in the Gothic style with spires rising everywhere. Magnificent! As we drove around between classes we noticed that probably half the boys wore sport coats and ties and about the same amount of girls wearing skirts and dresses. Tradition according to our conversation at the book store. And there were a few of both sexes wearing lightweight black gowns over their clothing. Again, according to our source, tradition, those students with outstanding grades belong to The Order of the Gownsmen and are expected to wear their gowns to class. We saw a lot of happy, smiling students. All Saints Church is undoubtedly the most architecturally significant building on campus.

We were told we could just walk in and look around. Stunning! (For more pictures of the interior, see them posted on our Picasa site.) The stained glass windows and pipe organ just rendered us speechless. Such friendly people and one took us to see the small chapel inside. The beauty here today was just overwhelming. Everyone we talked to was so friendly, kind, helpful, and proud of their school and its history. See more at http://www.sewanee.edu/.

We left about noon hoping to dine at Miss Mary Bobo's in Lynchburg at 1:00 pm, the only seating that day. Miss Mary ran a boarding house in Lynchburg for years that was a favorite of Jack Daniel. (She holds the distinction of being the oldest woman to ever appear in the pages of Playboy magazine. She was ninety-nine years old and appeared in a Jack Daniels advertisement urging people to send her birthday wishes.) It soon became apparent we would not be there in time however. We ended up eating at the only open restaurant in town -- the Bar-B-Que Caboose Cafe! Oh boy, Anne's favorite! :) But it really was good food. The switch from an Episcopalian university to a whiskey distillery was a little jarring, but we had always seen a lot of advertising about visiting "Jack" in Lynchburg. Lynchburg is a small town -- maybe a few hundred people. Having toured distilleries of Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, and Woodford Reserve last summer in Kentucky, we had an idea of what we would see. The major difference being Jack and his charcoal filtering. Anne and Jack standing in front of "THE cave" that provides all of the water for the distillery. Tours are free and we had a guide with a truly dry, but great sense of humor. (Again, there are more pictures on our Picasa site.) For lots more interesting and historical info, visit their website, http://www.jackdaniels.com/.

Along the way, in a small town named Cowan, we saw one of the last remaining houses bought from Sears and Roebuck in the early 1900's and still doing pleasant duty as a private residence.

Stay tuned for more nooks and crannies!

The Inevitable Rant

I suppose anyone who writes a blog cannot avoid touching upon politics. And so it goes....

It seems this year our choices for president are poor, poorer, and poorest. As someone who always thought he believed in the Republican party, John McCain just doesn't do it for me. NOR does the majority of ALL the congressional office holders. They just don't get it. So, knowing that all those people will be searching out my opinion so they know the mood of the country, here are the qualifications or attributes needed to get my vote, in no particular order. Unfortunately, every election, we tend to think the next president will do all the things promised and set the country aright. It never happens. The President must have a Congress who will work together and that NEVER happens. The list below can only come about with both branches of government working together.

Cancel our participation in NAFTA. It is not equal to all countries. Cancel it NOW. Job creation.

Allow drilling for oil in ANWAR. No one wants to do that but it is a tragic necessity. Job creation.

Cancel the NAFTA highway begun in Texas and, in theory, to extend to Canada.

Pardon the two border patrol policemen NOW and give them back their jobs with back pay.

Allow stem cell research on a reasonable basis beyond what ole "W" favors.

Cancel current trade agreements with China and other countries and renegotiate. New agreements must be equal to all concerned. If Japan imposes taxes upon American automobile manufacturers to sell autos in Japan, then we do the same in return. An eye for an eye. A level field of competition. Anyone who thinks Toyota, Nissan, Honda and all the others are now American carmakers are badly fooled. The Japanese government has subsidized their auto makers and others for decades, unlike here in America where the government has nothing but taxes for our manufacturers. Wake up people. Buy American while we can. Job creation.

Overseas importers must insure, not ensure, incoming shipments. ALL shipments must be inspected by American companies responsible only to our government and paid for by the importers. An organization similar in nature to the Coast Guard. Violations must result in swift, and significant fines along with rejection of the shipments. No nonsense, no second chance, no compromising.

Withdraw our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan within 18 months, period. Cease being the policemen for the world. What makes us think we can correct all the world's ills and impose democracy upon nations that have been warring and slaughtering each other since time began? Politicians and pollyannas will scream "Isolationism" -- the world is too small. No it isn't -- we just want to participate on OUR terms. It continually amazes me how politicians campaign upon promises of "listening to their constituents" and "I am with you" and "I will be your voice", but once in office, their attitude is "Well, we know best", or "Trust us" or "You elected me -- I will do what I prefer" -- NO, do what you promised and do what the country wants. "Of course I will still love you in the morning" has no more appropriate application than to our elected representatives. Obviously, there are always exceptions to anything.

Enforce immigration laws already on the books. Establish new immigration policy -- put some Congressmen to work instead of worrying whether Roger Clemens took steroids and HGH. Build the friggin' fence, station our troops from overseas along the border (some will say the Constitutuion prevents that and I say then change the Constitution.) Fine employers heavily for hiring illegal immigrants. EVERYONE must pay taxes, Social Security, be covered by health insurance, and learn to speak English acceptably with one year. "You take a test, you pay the costs, you speak our language, you pay taxes like everyone else. And then you pass a test. Deporting 12 million illegal immigrants is unrealistic, but making them legal immigrants is possible.

Quit arguing over gun control. The right to bear arms is expressly granted in the Constitution. As a matter of fact, encourage "carry" laws with training and proper certification.

Eliminate foreign aid. Use the money and that from the end of the Iraqi war to establish an organization, similar to the old Civilian Conservation Corps, to rebuild our infrastructure Job creation.

Establish tax incentives to ensure companies manufacture in the United States. Job creation.

Establish universal health care. I have no idea how.

Pursue the idea of establishing a federal sales tax and eliminating the annual income tax and the IRS.

Establish "supertaxes" on companies with windfall profits such as health care, oil industry, and pharmaceuticals.

Stand up to the vocal minorities and quit being afraid of offending every single little group of cry babies. We will NEVER be able to satisfy every little sect.

And lastly, we need a president who can pronounce "nuclear"!

Oh, and one last thing -- replace Nancy Pelosi -- the most strident, rabble-rousing, divisive figure in Congress.

So there you have it. Does that make me a Democrat or a Republican? It doesn't matter.... I'll bet it makes me an American.

I solicit and welcome your opinions.