This is the section of the website where I will share some writings. Most will be mine, but I may include words written by others. These posts will mostly consist of what I think of as "spiritual op-ed" pieces. I guess what I mean by that is quite often, I find myself pondering the state of the world, country, or community that I live in, and will feel like I have something to say about it. The spiritual aspect of that means that, quite simply, I believe in the concept of good and bad forces in this world. If we are to be good world citizens, it's important to be a force for the good. If you agree or disagree with my views, I welcome your feedback.

I'll also include some other "writings" that are just for the fun of it.

This is an op-ed piece I wrote for the Raleigh News and Observer a few years back. I may have moved from a trailer park to a nice condominium in Southern Village since this was written, but my values and beliefs about affordable housing have not changed a bit. Click on this link:

The Single-Wide Life in Six-Figure Territory

THE TOP TENS

My Top Ten Movies:

1. Citizen Kane

2. City Lights

3. Annie Hall

4  Saving Private Ryan

5. 2001:A Space Odyssey

6. The Wizard of Oz

7. The Sting

8. A Hard Day's Night

9. House of Games

10.The Day the Earth Stood Still

My Top Ten Guitar Albums

1. Wes Montgomery "Smokin' at the Half Note"

2. Charlie Christian "At Minton's"

3. Doc Watson "On Stage"

4. Leo Kottke "6 and 12 String Guitar"

5. David Laibman and Eric Schoenberg "The New Ragtime Guitar"

6. John Fahey "Of Rivers and Religion"

7. Pat Martino "The Visit"

8. Norman Blake "Whiskey Before Breakfast"

9. Mississippi John Hurt "Folksongs and Blues"

10.Jimi Hendrix "Band of Gypsies"

My Ten Favorite Musicians

1. The Beatles

2. JS Bach

3. Charlie Parker

4  Ella Fitzgerald

5. Frank Sinatra (the middle period)

6. Betty Carter

7. Miles Davis

8. Tom Waits

9. Bob Dylan

10.George Gershwin

My Top Ten Pieces of Perfection

1. Glenn Gould, "The Goldberg Variations"(Bach)

2. Johnny Smith, "The Girl With the Flaxen Hair" (Debussy)

3. Patty Griffin, "Rain"

4. Merle Travis and Chet Atkins, "I'll See You in My Dreams"

5. Lowell George, "Roll em Easy"

6. David Lindley, "Mercury Blues"

7. Oscar Peterson Trio with Herb Ellis, "Naptown Blues"

8. The Beatles, "Strawberry Fields Forever"

9. Ed Gerhard, "The Handing Down"

10.Paul Brady, "Arthur McBride"

My Top Ten Sports Heros

1. Willie Mays

2. Jim Brown

3. Mickey Mantle

4. Bob Gibson

5. Sandy Koufax

6. Ted Williams

7. Lawrence Taylor

8. Muhammed Ali

9.  Johnny Unitas

10. Walter Payton

Ten one-of-a kind musicians (toeing nobody's line but their own)

1.Betty Carter

2.Theolonius Monk

3.John Hartford

4.Norman Blake

5.Joseph Spence

6.Charles Ives

7.Lowell George

8.Dave Van Ronk

9.Bill Frisell

10. D'Gary

The Top Ten Things I like about George W. Bush

1. He really loves baseball

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