Just checking in

Those who have paid attention to this blog know that it has been 20 days since Buddy Wayne's Ideal World has been updated.

There have been several reasons for this. One of them was that a five-night, four-day vacation that my parents and I took to New York City last week. (We arrived late Tuesday night of last week and left on Sunday morning.) During that time, I enjoyed myself and didn't use the hotel computers all that much.

Before that, I restarted classes at ABC Adult School, which meant less free time for projects like this one.

This weekend, I plan to go back to this blog for at least one post. I have not forgotten Buddy Wayne Barefoot and all of his friends and neighbors. If they were with us, they would convey the word that they are OK.

From the Porch: Defending the South

This is the first column in a new series. I will try to give you regular columns from my characters about what life has been like in Idealia since I wrote the final word of The Buddy Wayne Chronicles. - D.H.

In the two years since the book's story wrapped up, a few things have happened to me. One of them was an interview with Matt Frei of BBC World News.

It was nice to invite someone from the outside world to take a glimpse at the paradise to come, and I enjoyed talking to my millions of fans around the globe. During the interview, I also gave Matt a tour of my property and even let him drive my 1930s vintage car, the same one that I won the Heritage Cup in.

But all the outside world could talk about was a statement that was commonly reported as, "I believe that the Confederate flag is the symbol of heaven." I did not say those exact words: what I actually did was point out a flag with the cross of St. George outside the family house and told him, "This does not stand for what you think it does. It stands for the influence of our religious and cultural heritage [in the Southern United States] and how it is a symbol of our lives here in Heaven."

Those who know about Idealia know that we love barbeque, porch sitting, storytelling, riding horses, racing cars, (American) football, hunting, fishing, and working on the land. We also live our lives by faith, family, and moral values. Nowhere else on Earth is this more true than in the South. Because we believe that only the grace of God saves us and sends us to Heaven, it is only appropriate that we eventually land here.

Besides, as I explained to Matt, the flag now associated with the Confederacy, which has the Cross of St. George, was never the official flag of the nation. For most of its history, it was the "Stars and Bars," which had many similarities to the American flag. (See this page for more on the subject.) The cross flag was a "battle flag" used by some units of the CSA army during the Civil War. Later, it was chosen with the American flag to represent reunions of old soldiers from that war.

Somehow, this got twisted to represent the worst elements of the antebellum American South, including slavery. But the fact remains that, here in Idealia, the flag hangs from most of our houses, whether we are white, black, or from another background. The reason is simple: the flag represents us and unifies us, just as the American flag does in the USA or another national flag does elsewhere.

I will always stand by and defend the use of the cross of St. George, regardless of what anyone else thinks of it. As I have always said, "Take me as I am or don't take me at all."


Next time, I will defend my actions as it relates to my belle, Brittany Spears.

What's ahead on this site

I have not posted in a little over a week, so some of you may have wondered what happened to me.

The answer is, nothing really. I have been trying to take it easy in one of the worst heat waves the Los Angeles area has ever seen, as of Friday it was 90 degrees plus on nine consecutive days. Not to mention the Station Fire resulting in images similar to that of nuclear destruction.

Also, I have been thinking about where to go with this blog.

The next big idea in my mind is a weekly column called "From the Porch." Here, Buddy (or sometimes a guest character) will talk about life in my little corner of Heaven. You'll see just how different life in the world to come is compared to what life is like now. Then again, are things that much easier when everything is taken care of? Sometime this weekend, I resolve to start this new feature.

In addition: At some point this month, I will talk about a controversial topic: the Confederate flag, or more correctly the Cross of St. George flag. Why do Idealians rally behind a symbol so controversial that states displaying it are now denied the opportunity to host major college sports championships? And those people include a substantial population descended from African-Americans, the very group that is supposed to be the most offended.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Notice on updated page titles

Let me pause here to inform you that I have changed many of the page titles in my coverage of the bracket. They are now in a standard "headline" format, which is better than the generic look that was there before.

Unfortunately, Blogger did not change the URL addresses of the entries, which could cause some confusion. So pay special attention to the title of each post. If you plan to link the pages to and from other sites, please explain the discrepancies that may exist.

'Aptronyms' square off in Idealia bracket

This is the continuation of the Idealian character tournament, based on the format of the book The Final Four of Everything edited by Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir.

The next two matches comprise a "mini-regional" with four people with names appropriate to their occupation. Paul Dickson, another author, has coined the term "aptronym" to describe them.


Brightful Birdsong vs. Barney Laughinghouse
As one would guess, the former is a singer and the latter is a comedian. Birdsong is another one of the land's great singers. He, like Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke, has a background as a gospel singer before crossing over to rhythm and blues and soul. A major difference is that many of his songs are a cappella (that's without music if you're not familiar). I am not aware of any other singer who regularly sings solos in that style; that's understandable as one can imagine how highly difficult that would be. Laughinghouse is the star of a situation comedy on prime-time television. Like the 1950s hit The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, the entire Laughinghouse family is the star: husband Barney, wife LaDonna, children Blake, Danielle, and Bonnie Jean, and hunting dog Buster. Also, the family's real-life experiences are the centerpiece of the show, which is done in an improvisational style. Barney leads in the criteria of fulfilling a need in the real world: today, there are no family-themed sitcoms on any of the four major broadcast networks in the United States. (Sorry, The Simpsons and Family Guy fans, cartoons do not count.) In contrast, they were prevalent 20 years or so ago. But by another measure, singers are more valuable than comedians: American Idol is going strong after eight seasons, while Last Comic Standing was canceled after four. The deciding factor in the end is the public image associated with each name: a birdsong is beautiful, while a laughing house would be weird. Winner: Birdsong

Magdalena Babblejack vs. Stormie Gayle Blizzard
If you worked for a news department and a resume came across your desk with the name "Stormie Gayle Blizzard," you'd hire her, right? I thought so. If the anchor chair became empty and someone named "Magdalena Babblejack" wanted the job, can she have it? The answer is, well, maybe. The name "Babblejack" implies gossiper more than serious newscaster, so Blizzard wins easily, right? Think again. If Babblejack were hired by a major network, and if she was able to combine serious journalism with the force of personality - maybe Walter Cronkite and Katie Couric mashed together - she may be the future of television news. Oh, by the way, "Maggie" is from England, where the news culture is very diverse and rich, compared to the U.S. Besides, anchors get the big money, not meteorologists. Winner: Babblejack

Happy anniversary, Buddy!

The miraculous triumph of Buddy Wayne Barefoot in the Heritage Cup vintage-car race took place on this day. The event is scheduled for the Fourth of July - America's Independence Day - to honor the significance of families and to coincide with when the highest number of family reunions are held.

I also want to correct a point in the book which relates to the race: On page 205, I reported on what happened during the red-flag delay due to a strange use of the sprinkler system. I wrote that Bunky Barefoot (Crabtree) kissed a woman, and I reported that it was neither Laura or Heather, the twins that he was "married" to. I meant that he kissed one of the two, but due to their similarities it was not clear which one.

To read the whole story, see chapters 12 and 14, as well as part of chapter 13.

Columnist takes my side on celebrity

When The Buddy Wayne Chronicles was created, the idea was to present a new American folk hero to the public. He is a response to the artificial culture of celebrity that is the center of not just the entertainment world, but the lives of so many people.

I have always believed that the real heroes are our parents, friends, and anyone else who have certain qualities or who have done significant things to enhance our lives. This could include rescuing people from burning buildings, casting aside villainous enemies, or simply creating things of beauty that last forever. In that sense, Buddy Wayne Barefoot is in the world of celebrities, but not of it.

Unfortunately, there are too many famous people who got there the wrong way. That is, they either seek the spotlight or they have qualities that some people in the media think are important. We can forever debate, in chicken or egg style, whether those in the tabloid press either create the demand or simply react to it. What is certain is that the definitions of celebrity and hero have been blurred.

And it's not just me saying and writing this. In reaction to the recent death of Michael Jackson, Herbert London of Human Events magazine wrote a story which expresses the same concern. Here is that story.

On the website comment page, I wrote this:

"...[T]hank you, Herbert, for saying something that has been on my mind for a long time. Oh, if I could only go back to a time when real heroes were recognized and given what they deserved, and when people had to earn the privilege of being famous.

I also think that the breakdown of the family has a lot to do with the cheapening of celebrity. After all, mommy and daddy are the first real heroes in anyone's lives. If our children can't look up to them...well, let me give you the expression (and it's probably a paraphrase): "If one doesn't stand up for something, one will fall for anything."