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There’s a restaurant that’s well-known in Natchez called Biscuits & Blues. I was reminded of it when listening to an audio book of Greg Isles, The Quiet Game, as he mentions the restaurant a couple of times. cheap albion silver It’s on 315 Main Street. Nike Kyrie Irving A picture of the restaurant is below. New Balance 993 mujer albion gold That also reminded me of this song I was inspired to write after I heard the story of the restaurant and how its owner, who had gone to California, started a restaurant with the same name there, but had returned to her hometown of Natchez. buy albion silver I heard the story the same night they turned on the lights of the Mississippi bridge last year. cheap albion gold Anyway, I intend to have this song on my next CD I’m making this year with some other originals (Jed Marum, who produced my first CD Bard of the South, is going to produce that one too). nike air max 2015 czarne Here are the lyrics, though as any songwriter knows, songs seem to be in constant flux, addition and revision. nike air max 90 soldes (I read that Leonard Cohen wrote nearly 80 verses to “Hallelujah.”) Biscuits & Blues by Rickey Pittman VERSE ONE: New York was always too busy, In LA I couldn’t breathe, San Francisco was a little too weird, I moved on to Tennessee. Air Jordan 9 Retro buy albion gold I always dreamed of Mississippi, Couldn’t shake that part of me, I kept looking for a way to come back, I’d seen all I wanted to see. Soldes Chaussures Nike albion silver CHORUS: I wanted biscuits and blues in the morning, Walking hand in hand with you, I need a forever love, I’ll give you a heart that’s true, Now it’s biscuits and blues in the morning, And singing the blues at night, Blue moon in that Natchez sky, Tells me we’ll be alright. Solde adidas superstar cheap albion gold VERSE TWO: They turned on the lights this evening, On that Mississippi bridge, We saw it from under the hill, Then from the cemetery ridge. Women Air Jordan 6 buy albion gold I could see the streets of Vidalia, And the bluffs above the town Hot air balloons anchored and waiting For the dawn to come around. CHORUS: VERSE THREE: Some come to Natchez to look for ghosts, Others for the history, Artists pushed here by hurricanes, Writers for the mysteries. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Jerseys I remember Angels on the Bluff, A bright night much like this, We walked by the Turning Angel, Who turned her head when we kissed.

Avalon Revisited (Blue Moose Press 2010) by Olivia M. Grey was my first introduction to Steampunk fiction, a genre blending science fiction, fantasy, history, horror, Victorian, and speculative fiction. Since I met Ms. cheap albion silver Grey, I’ve been introduced to this new and intriguing subculture, traversing the world–form the wilds of London to the mayhem and extremity of the Burning Man. ADIDAS Yeezy Boost 350 V2

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Grey’s writing style kept me intrigued until the very end. I was able to walk with the characters through cold nights “full of murder and monsters” ( (81). cheap albion gold The protagonist, Arthur, a vampire, is both the subject and narrator. albion silver He is by his own admission a man who “wasn’t polite company” (7). He meets Avalon, a dark-haired beauty who obsesses and distracts him. Maglie Milwaukee Bucks She is quite complicated and you’re never sure about how his pursuit of her will go until the very end because of a key conflict: He is a vampire and she a vampire hunter. Grey Pink Jordan Shoes albion gold He says, “Of all the women I’ve had in my time, I fall in love with a vampire hunter. buy albion gold Of course” (86). GS Air Jordan 5 Though he knows his obsession of Avalon is self-destructive, he says, “This was love. This agony. Nike Jordan 11 Future This suffering. nike tn requin pas cher buy albion silver This sinking feeling in my chest. Adidas Zx 850 Heren Feeling unable to live without her. Knowing I could not live without her. cheap albion gold Knowing I would do anything for her, even if it led to my own ruin, for I was nothing without her” (187). At no point did I lose interest in this sexy, vampire tale, and at no point did I feel I left Victorian England, in spite of the anachronisms associated with Steampunk fiction. I highly recommend this novel. It’s not your typical vampire read, and the skilled craft of O. Adidas Stan Smith Uomo

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On Saturday, March 26, 2011, I’ll be presenting stories and songs in Cleburne, Texas at the General Pat Cleburne Birthday Party/ Scottish Festival & Heritage Celebration 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM You can find a description of the event here: Recently, I completed reading A Meteor Shining Brightly: Essays on Maj. Gen. Patrick R. Sacramento Kings Cleburne, edited by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn with a foreword by Wiley Sword (Terrell House Pub). Joslyn’s book was award Georgia Author of the Year in Creative Nonfiction and Best Biography in 1998. The collection of essays and photographs on Cleburne is illuminating and fascinating to any student of America’s Civil War. The eleven essays reveal the story of one of the most respected and successful generals of the Confederacy, one known as “The Stonewall of the West.” We see Cleburne from his birth and early life in Ireland, to his career in the British military, to his immigration to Arkansas, and to his final days in the Confederate Army, rising from private to Brigadier General. nike air max pas cher It relates his heart-wrenching engagement to Susan Tarleton from Mobile, and describes numerous anecdotes that illustrate the love and respect he held from his peers and his soldiers. I found this a touching Irishman’s story. He was a man whose early years were spent in some of the most troubled in Ireland’s history. fjallraven kanken mini (enfants) 7 L In America, he was a man of principle, and an early advocate of the emancipation of slaves and their use in the Army. Brooklyn Nets

At first, his ideas were rejected by those in power in the Confederacy, but his idea eventually won over that leadership, but it was too late in the war to make a difference. As Wiley Sword says, “Patrick Cleburne represents an ultimate Southern hero . . .[who] did his duty, even under the maddening, frustrating circumstances of foolish orders and glaring mistakes . . . Goedkoopste Nike Air Max 2017 .” Sometime ago I learned a song from Jed Marum, “The Stonewall of the West” and I often use the song in my Civil War and Arkansas History programs. (You can purchase Jed’s recording on iTunes). The song was written by Kim Feathers Caudell (unfortunately I couldn’t locate her website). I’ll be performing the song and sharing stories of Cleburne at the festival this weekend and for the Cleburne ISD on Friday. bestellen schoenen nike air max 2016 goedkoop As the town was named in honor of Gen. Asics Gel lyte 3 Dames Patrick R. Mario Manningham – Michigan Wolverines Cleburne, under whom many of the men had fought during the Civil War, Cleburne’s story is one they should know. If you’re anywhere near Cleburne, please come and support the festival.

Nationalism: The Opium of Confused Conservatives by James Ronald Kennedy & Walter Donald Kennedy No doubt but that the title of this article will initially be rather infuriating to many conservatives. albion gold This is because too many Americans today equate nationalism with patriotism. These words do not carry the same meaning and when applied to national politics they produce very different results as it relates to the preservation of personal liberty, limited government, and respect for the constitution. The inability of conservatives to distinguish between nationalism and patriotism was driven home recently when a local DJ on WWL (“Rush Radio” New Orleans) morning program made a vicious attack on Representative Ron Paul. The DJ accused a Ron Paul supporter of being “lead around by the nose” by CNN! The insulting manner in which Ron Paul’s supporter was handled would be understandable if the DJ was a liberal/progressive/socialist but the DJ claims to be a true blue conservative whose main interest is to find a Republican presidential candidate who will be able to defeat Obama. albion silver The DJ’s main complaint against Ron Paul is that he was an isolationist who wants America to retreat back within our borders and leave the rest of the world alone, thereby allowing extremists to ultimately destroy ancient cities and civilizations in the mid-east—without America’s footprint all over the world, according to this logic, evil will triumph and be free to do horrible things to lands, cities, and people far away. This DJ views America as a force for “good,” ready to compel others to abide by our dictates or else suffer the military consequences. buy albion gold While it might be relatively easy to define “force” it becomes more problematic to define “good.” The DJ’s definition of “good” would most likely be radically different from Obama’s definition, whose definition would be different from John McCain’s definition, whose definition would be different from Sarah Palin’s definition etc, etc., etc. Chaussures ASICS Gel Glorify pour Femme Using the DJ’s standard America would be a force for good all over the world but the definition of good would have to change every time America changed presidents or the control of Congress or maybe even every time the Federal Supreme Court changed! Nationalism celebrates force; it frolics in force; international status is nurtured and grows with force. Force expands the nation’s control over its own people every time it is successfully applied to an enemy; therefore pure nationalists seek enemies to destroy. buy albion silver Nationalism looks beyond the nation’s borders for opportunities to expand the nation’s influence—be it economic, ideological, commercial and/or military influence or, when the opportunity allows, not just influence but absolute control. Notice that this new “nation of force” will ultimately look and act more like an empire than a simple nation. Patriotism, on the other hand, is local; it looks inward to a community with local traditions. asics lyte 3 blu uomo Patriots see the nation as a means to protect local communities that compose the nation. cheap albion gold Patriots are members of local communities and their primary desire is simply to be “let alone.” Patriots view people residing outside of the nation’s borders as possible trading partners in which they can engage in voluntary exchange—an exchange in which both sides gain. Curry Due Bambini Patriots rally to the flag to defend the nation because the nation is necessary to preserve and defend local communities. Whereas nationalists need and ardently seek to create and expand a strong centralized supreme and ultimately oppressive national government. Patriots, on the other hand, seek to create and maintain local self-government that allows for maximum liberty (i.e. minimum taxation, regulation, etc.) for we the people at home in our local communities. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Jerseys buy albion gold This sense of “minding our own business” or being “let alone” can be seen in John Adam’s warning that America should “… not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy.”; or Thomas Jefferson’s admonishment that America seeks to be “… friends with all nations—entangling alliances with none.”; or George Washington’s advice to avoid “foreign entanglements”. new balance 997 on sale Nationalists, DJs and others, seek to paint this traditional American view as somehow being un-American. adidas yeezy boost 350 v2 damskie The truth is that personal liberty, limited government, and a constitutional republic cannot exist when nationalists make up the nation’s ruling elite. Nationalists will use any means that will allow them to consolidate power—thereby taking power/control away from “we the people” at the local level and transferring it to the centralized, nationalist, (big) government. College Jerseys At this point one can almost hear the nationalists howling, “How would you isolationists deal with the 9/11 attack on America?” First, we are not isolationists—we want to engage in voluntary exchange/commerce with people all over the world. We have no desire to build a wall around America in order to shut ourselves off from the world. Nationalists use the term “isolationists” the same way PC liberals use the word “racists”—they both use their magic words to shut down civil discourse because they have no logical argument. Secondly, we knew who attacked us on 9/11, we knew where their headquarters were and we knew what country was providing them aid and comfort. An ultimatum should have been given—“Hand over the leaders and all of their followers in your country within 48 hours or else.” The “or else” would consist of a mushroom cloud over the training camps and every military and terrorist instillation in the country. nike air max 95 homme Nationalists would argue that we could not afford to do such a thing but according to nationalists we could afford thousands of American soldiers dead and wounded (soldiers drawn primarily from mid to lower income families) and costing a trillion dollars at a time when families in our local communities are suffering from a failing economy. Utah Utes Jerseys cheap albion silver All it would take is one example and no other country would allow such organizations to operate in their country! But one quick and overwhelming strike would not serve the primary purpose of nationalists—to increase the national footprint around the world while restricting liberty at home—all in the name of national security! This is a warning to all conservatives who believe in the primacy of personal liberty, limited government and constitutionalism. Nationalists of both political parties never allow a crisis to pass—they know how to rattle the saber in order to rally patriots around the flag and then convince limited government conservatives to “violate the free market in order to save it” or to surrender just a little privacy in order to be more secure. nike pas cher Yet each year the free market is less free, more regulated and less able to grow a productive, jobs producing, economy; government has its hand deeper in our pockets (and now even in other private personal places); and the only thing that is secure is the system of supreme federalism that provides nationalists ruling elites of both political parties with almost unlimited perks, privileges, and power—all paid for by an increasingly oppressed and once free people. cheap albion gold After the unfortunate close of the War for Southern Independence, General Robert E.

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Often a movie will lead me to the book it is based on. goedkoop nike air max 2017 cheap albion gold This happened when I saw Door in the Floor (2004). new balance 996 homme buy albion gold It was based on John Irving’s novel, A Widow for One Year (1998). Donne Scarpe Air Jordan 4 As usual, one should never judge a book by its movie. New Balance 990 damskie buy albion gold The movie was good–actually very good–but the novel, which I read this week, was fantastic. John Elway Jerseys buy albion silver The Ballantine edition had an excellent reader’s guide with an interview from which I gained insights into fiction writing. Nike Roshe One In the study guide’s interview, Henry Ginsberg points out that Irving is known to be a defender of the nineteenth century novel. When I noticed the Table of Contents and the titled chapters, I thought about how I like that 19th Century technique. Adidas NMD Heren nike tn homme cheap albion gold It’s a stylistic tool that works well for me as a reader. Canotta Brooklyn Nets I probably overuse epigraphs for my chapters, which I think would have the same effect as a good chapter title. Womens Air More Uptempo This was a novel with fiction writers as characters. chaussures nike pas cher Andre Johnson Irving’s character constructs are powerful and part of what makes the novel’s plot work so well. asics gel kinsei 5 mujer cheap albion silver I do believe that if you are a writer, this novel will inspire, rattle, and perhaps terrify you a bit as Irving takes you deep into the lives, styles, and souls of these writers. Arkansas Razorbacks Jerseys albion gold The numerous themes of the novel are evocative and intense. Colin Kaepernick Jersey The study guide’s questions are excellent writing and discussion prompts on marriage, humiliation, the writer and writing, change, and photographs as symbols and talismans. Canotte NCAA Here are just a few of my favorite quotations that I underlined: “It was the sound of a typewriter–the sound of storytelling” (19) “He used to say that darkness was his (Ted Cole’s) favorite color” ( 21) “Brave means that you accept what happens to you–you just try to make the best of it” 130). Air Jordan Future “There are few things as seemingly untouched by the real world as a child asleep” (151) “But one must never not write a certain kind of novel out of fear of what the reaction will be” (318) “[H]e wasn’t a bad boy–just an ordinary one” (377) “If you’re a writer, the problem is that when you try to call a halt to thinking about your novel-in-progress, your imagination still keeps going; you can’t shut it off” (380) “It was for children that one wanted heaven . AJ McCarron Alabama Jersey

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