The 'namesake' who helped launch a political career

Today, while at the Cerritos Library, I stumbled across this passage from the biography of Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina.  The book is called Can't Is Not an Option: My American Story.

First, some background: Haley, who was born in India to Sikh parents but moved to the U.S. as a child, was a successful businesswoman who in 2004 was running for public office for the first time.  It was for a seat in the 87th district of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

...We had a friend, John Barefoot, who was Googling around trying to find out as much about [longtime state legislator Larry] Koon as he could to help out with the campaign.  He came across a book called The Stupidest Things Ever Said by Politicians.  There, on page thirty-eight, was this: "Women are best suited for secretarial work, decorating cakes, and counter sales, like selling lingerie."

John took the quote to my women's business group, NAWBO, and the group didn't hesitate.  It reprinted Mr. Koon's statement on a black background in archaic-looking script and put it out.  The women of the district were furious.

Haley received enough votes to enter into a runoff against Koon; she went on to defeat the incumbent by 55 percent to 45 and took office in January 2005.  After five years in the legislature, she ran for governor in 2010 and won, becoming the first woman and non-Anglo governor is the state's history.

Today, Haley is considered a rising star in the Republican party and will be among the speakers later this month at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Although there are no doubt some other people who played major roles in Haley's successful candidacy, John Barefoot's role should not be overlooked.  And wherever he is now, no doubt he is pleased.

UPDATE: Here's a recent story about budget cuts Haley has ordered.  Her actions drew praise from online columnist Eric Erickson at RedState.com, which is predominantly read by Republicans.

Barefoot surname "battle of the bands"

This is a spinoff of the Barefoot collection page I made last year.

I have found two modern rock guitarists with the surname.  Ben Barefoot and the Hand Shakes are based in Perrysburg, OH and Jonathan Barefoot and the Bulrushers are in Encinitas, CA.

Here are songs from both of them.  What do you think?
*Ben - "Nothing Is As Beautiful As You"
*Jonathan - "A Portrait of the Idiot Who Claims to Be an Artist"

Goodbye, "Sheriff Matlock"

This is a statement from my character on the recent death of television star Andy Griffith.

Andy Griffith was Sheriff Andy Taylor.   He was Benjamin Matlock, champion lawyer of the little guy.  He was a husband, father, grandfather, and friend.

Best of all, he was "Sheriff Matlock," the best good ol' Southern boy in the world.

When I wanted to know what the right thing was, I turned to Andy Taylor, Barney Fife, Aunt Bee, Ernest T. Bass, and the rest of the good citizens of Mayberry.  Those of us who live in North Carolina considered them to be just like our families, and for good reason.

And like me, Andy made sure to call the Tar Heel State home, even in the midst of his fame.  When he retired to Dare County, near the Outer Banks, he blended into the community as if he never starred in two of the most popular TV shows of his time - and still two of the best examples of family entertainment ever created.

Goodbye and God bless, "Sheriff Matlock."  The world will remember you and the examples you set as long as your shows are on TV.

Blinky Blink "interview"

My series of fictitious interviews continue, this time with Brandon "Blinky Blink" Van Blankenstein.  This character shares a nickname with a real-life rapper, and raps as well.  However, his claim to fame is mixing urban and rural styles together to form a new dance style that has taken him to the elite level in the entertainment world.

BWB: First of all, I've noticed your last name, Van Blankenstein.  What kind of name is that?
BLINK: Well, Blankenstein is German, roughly meaning "pale-colored stone," and Van, of course, is a Dutch term indicating descent.  Apparently, my family roots are in the border area of the Netherlands and Germany.  I can only trace my name back to the 1950s, but as far as I know our whole family history in the U.S. has been in California.  I was born in Pomona, and grew up in Diamond Bar, both quite a way east of Los Angeles.  I also spent a lot of time on a farm in Riverside County with an aunt and uncle.
BWB: Describe your dance style.
BLINK: It's called the rhubarb, since that's something I loved to grow as a child.  It's part Irish jig, part Appalachian clogging, part New York City tap dancing, and sometimes I throw in some backflips.
BWB: Wow!  How long did it take to get the routine down?
BLINK: A number of years, and indeed I didn't really perfect it until I was on America's Got Talent last year.
BWB: What was your reaction when you won that?
BLINK: Humbling.  How else can I wrap my head around the fact that this guy from suburban L.A. who always thought of himself as a country boy would make it so big?   The thing is, not only did I have to work my butt off week after week, but I also had to be the most popular among the audience watching at home every time.  That was not easy. (In real life, the winner was singer Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.)
BWB:  Have you ever tried to "rhubarb" and rap at the same time?
BLINK: Actually, I did a little rapping in my final performance on AGT and I expanded on that recently when I tried out for The X Factor.
BWB: Which works into a goal of yours.
BLINK: I want to be the first person in history to appear on "game operas" [reality television shows of a competitive nature] on all four major networks in this country.  In 2009, I was on Pop Camp [which I originally called The Singing Showdown] on ABC.  Of course, AGT is on NBC and The X Factor is on Fox.  Then I have three possible options on CBS - Survivor, Big Brother, or The Amazing Race.
BWB: The Amazing Race?  I thought you needed someone else to play that game.
BLINK: Yes, but I have a girlfriend now, Alecia Moore.
BWB: Same name as the singer known as Pink?
BLINK: Yes.  She's a voice-over character on Little Buddy's Clubhouse [a cartoon series based on Buddy Wayne Barefoot's childhood] and wants to be a sportscaster some day.  We met at Richie's Real American, a restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga.
BWB: Getting back to The X Factor: What was it like seeing Britney Spears - namesake of my beloved belle - as a judge?
BLINK: That was surreal, but I had an answer for her.  I actually flew Brittany Spears out to my audition in Kansas City, and I challenged her to a singing contest!  You'll have to wait until September to see how it all went down.
BWB: Yeah, I know and my lips are sealed too.  I can ask you, though, about some comments you have made.  Is your act really an escape for you?
BLINK: Actually, Buddy, this is a coping mechanism for me.  My aunt and uncle owned a dairy farm.  Unfortunately, despite much pleading, they had to sell their farm to developers who were building houses and stores.  I came there on the day they left and they had tears in their eyes, and so did I.  From that day one [voice breaking down], I promised that though I couldn't change their past, I would celebrate it with my dancing and look toward my future with my rapping.  That's what Blinky Blink is all about.
BWB: I'll end it right down before you really break down and cry.
BLINK: Hey, whatever. [Laughing]


Oh, and sorry for the Boy Scout picture.  That's the best depiction of Blinky's "face" I could find.

Another school year is over!

The creator of Buddy Wayne Barefoot and all his friends has finished another year of ABC Adult School.

I have completed Medical Billing and Coding and next for me is looking for a job in the front desk or as a medical assistant.  Also this summer, I will travel to the latest McMillon family reunion in Atlanta.

In addition, I will be posting more this summer.  Among some of the highlights, if I can get to them:

• How B.W. nearly "joined" Hendrick Motorsports in 2009 as a teammate of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, and the sport's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
• A "summary" of the second season of Pop Camp (which I called The Singing Showdown in earlier posts; as you know, I am not shy to change names of items I create on a whim.)   I'll introduce some familiar names in new settings.
• I will also update the status of some past characters.

Save Viva Elvis!

As promised, more on the Viva Elvis show I saw on Thursday night at the Aria Resort and Casino.

It was fantastic and splendid!  No doubt Buddy Wayne would approve of the combination of storytelling, dancing, and live music featuring Elvis Presley's hits with Cirque du Soleil's brand of acrobatics and gymnastics - and certainly I did as well.

But I was dismayed to find out that Cirque du Soleil and the Aria have agreed to shut down the show sometime in August.  The only question I have is, why?  Is there somehow a limit to the company's budget on Vegas shows, and with another one with Michael Jackson's music coming sometime next year, Viva Elvis had to go?  Or was it the bad reviews from others, with Arthur Frommer among those calling it the worst of the Cirque shows to date?  It certainly wasn't the ticket sales, at least judging from the packed house I saw at the performance I attended.

The only way to let them know you still want Elvis in the building - besides buying tickets, of course - is to use this feedback link to contact the Aria directly.  Maybe one of Presley's album titles will be a prophecy: 50 Million Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong.

UPDATE: Cirque du Soleil and the joint venture that owns Aria (MGM Resorts International and investors from Dubai) have announced Zarkana will replace Viva Elvis in October, so unfortunately the decision is final.  What's worse, there are no plans to perform Viva Elvis anywhere else once the show leaves Vegas.

Just checking in and revealing my plans

It's been nearly two months since my last post, and in case you're wondering, I'm still here!

The thing is, I simply have had no material to add to the story in any way since I returned to school.  But next week, that all changes.

During my vacation in Las Vegas, I plan to see Viva Elvis, one of the permanent shows of Cirque du Soleil playing at various casino-hotels on the Strip.  This show is at the Aria, part of the huge CityCenter development co-owned by MGM Resorts International and the Dubai government in the United Arab Emirates.

I plan to dedicate my attendance to BWB, who is a huge fan of Elvis Presley, and my next post here will be a "review" of the show in his name.

Thanks for your attention. -- D.H.