In eastern Oklahoma, QT stands for QuikTrip.  QuikTrips are real clean, real busy places in the greater Tulsa area.  When in the 918, I routinely stop to get fuel, maybe buy a bundle of their refrigerated bbq pork rib sandwiches and even use the toilets, as they are normally clean.  Heck, back in 1987 or 88, my steer and I were bought at the Tulsa Premium Sale by QT and Jack Zink.  I still remember talking to Mr. Zink.  That dude was wicked smart.   Google that deal.

Saturday afternoon found the Dragon Lady and I making a Quick Trip to T-Town.  2 pickups at a high rate of speed.  Well, other than the semi trailer that was hit by a train in Enid.  Quick detour around mid-Enid.  We made it to Tulsa, checked into the Hampton, then hit Academy for comfortable shoes (because we are old) then went to the Outback Steakhouse for a nice meal.

The hotel was good but somebody a few doors down was WAY drunk.  He was polite but he obviously couldn’t find a room key.  He kept politely knocking on a room door.  “Open the G D door now.  Please open the G D, MFing door now.”   I’m just guessing but I think that he ate either pizza or chicken wings by the elevator doors as there was a mess there that had some bacon bits, red pepper and dang sure a puddle of ranch dressing.

This morning, Tammy and I loaded ag mechanics projects, agronomy projects, ag comm stuff and other items….in the rain.  It was a scavenger hunt to find everything.  Actually, we didn’t find all of our projects.  I think the term Shit Show would apply.

We made a quick trip back to NW OK.  We have always taken care of hauling livestock properly. But, this hauling ag projects in general makes you want to get some Lloyd’s of London insurance.  Customers, parents and grandparents are wanting their prize kid’s projects back in fine form.  Whew!!!!   I just wish that the fair officials, FFA staff and others in charge cared a little bit about these projects.  Unreal!  Some stops have clean restrooms while others always have skid marks and floaters.  This deal wasn’t a clean pickup.

As an ag teacher, you want to help kids show off their projects.  Hell, scholarships and awards are dependent on these items.  But, when they get tore up, abused and lost….well, it just makes one want to use bad language…..$@#@#() 77 & W (Eu79eqw7e9E&(FFFFFF  $$$ UUUU  .!!!!   Call or text if you need an interpretation.  I don’t like lazy, I don’t like excuses and I don’t like lack of respect for other peoples stuff.

Other than that….it was a Quick Trip to Tulsa but Tammy and I had a Quality Time together eating Quality Tasty foods like lobster, shrimp and sirloin.  Oddly enough, I don’t normally care for a grilled sirloin but Outback does a bang up job on their sirloin.

I’m done.   Waiting on a big bowl of tater soup with bacon.  The temps are getting right….finally.

Actually, there is more.  Last night at dinner, Tammy told me that her parents were going to see Charlie Pride in concert.   Wait? What?   I like Charlie Pride.  Heck, we all love “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” but people, in all seriousness, read the bio on this guy.  He is a civics/social studies/athletics/work ethic/success story lesson all wrapped up in  one package.    Great American!  I WISH that I would have been watching Charlie Pride in concert.  He ain’t young.  Seriously, read up on this dude.  Unreal!

Peace out, have a good one, a better tomorrow and above all else….remember that there is a higher power.  The ground was wet so I trimmed hooves on mature bucks.  Whooo!!  That ain’t fun but it’s dun for awhile.

While holed up in the Hampton Inn at Tulsa, I flipped through almost 500 directTv channels until I found something that I wanted to watch.  It was 3:10AM and Bohemian Rhapsody had been playing for a bit. I watched it.  I liked it.

I don’t agree with the name of the movie, it should have just been called the Freddie Mercury story, but the movie was very good.  I loved the behind the scenes of how the songs came to life.  I would have liked to have seen more of how Brian May and the rest of the band handled the obvious issues.  Whatever.

For the past year or two, a couple of students have tried to convince me that Queen is the best rock band of all time.  The GOAT….no.  NO!!  They have some absolutely HUGE songs that have stood the test of time.  Heck, all of their stuff is over 30 years old now and is still being played.  Greatest of all time, NO.  Legendary…yes.

For that matter, they had a part in a song called “Under Pressure” which was performed by Queen and David Bowie.  This song was then covered by some dude named Rob Van Winkle.  That Van Winkle dude may or may not have made the best cover song of ALL time when he made “Ice, Ice Baby”.    I may or may not have included Vanilla Ice on that cover song list.  But it dang sure ranks up there.

I spoke at a community coffee this morning.  Not a big crowd, mainly church type people involved with missionary work.  Yeah, my kind of crowd.  They asked me to give an update about the Shattuck FFA.  I did.  Short notice–I looked like an old dude that had been at the fairs for a week or so, but I did my duty.

One of the missionary workers asked, “How come I don’t see more goats in this part of Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle.   I answered.  Which led to more questions.  I answered every one of them.  I now realize that my classes need to host a community coffee and discuss goats, livestock and meats.

I could go on and on.  The temps are right tonight.  I can’t do much because of mud but that will change.  The tunes are tight.  The Dragon Lady and I have discussed our first show season as complete has-beens.  And in this Must-B-Current cycle news/social media/ who did what right now….Tammy and I are has-beens.  I get it.  And another one bites the dust.

Not yet.  No, not yet.

Kind of.    My bad hoof flared up again.  Don’t know what caused it but it hurt like holy hell!  A stock show is not a good place to have to limp–for animals or humans.  The doctors wouldn’t prescribe any steroid pills over the phone.  But, it is a good thing that I was in the sheep barn.  You can always find drugs in that barn.  (probably true for any barn at this point)

I did not watch one class of goats being shown.  That was just too far to walk.  But, I listened to every set of reasons and before all of the division champions had been selected, I told people that Addie Schneberger was going to be grand and the div. 4 champ was getting the reserve grand slot.  He talked those two goats a bit different than the others.  Well, there was a third goat that was talked that way.  Tolson’s goat in div. 3 but that one ended up being a reserve division.

Speaking of the division 4 champ.  I’m pretty sure that somebody wrote on a blog this summer that the Kester’s were putting good animals together and to watch for goats coming from them.  They came out hard this fall, winning lots of county and district fairs.  Then they had 3 wethers make the Tulsa premium sale including the reserve grand.  Congrats to Tom & Kerensa and their crew.  Especially to Kaylee Rolph and her family.  I’ve enjoyed getting to know them.  Her Fargo sired wether was 3rd overall in Division 6.

And while at Tulsa, we finally got a little rain shower.  We only got 4.2″ on Thursday.

And yes, there are several topics in my email folder that I am looking forward to reading.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.

I only own one gun.  And on occasion I need to use it.  It is just a “home” defense kind of deal that I use to get rid of varmints.  Just some Winchester pump action 12 gauge.  It’s actually scarier looking than the AR-15 deals that the media likes to pontificate about the evils thereof.

Today, I sheared and clipped legs….on sheep getting ready to go to Tulsa.  I then scurried over towards Woodward and burnt horns on a couple of kids.  I called Tammy when I left Woodward, so when I got home, we sat down and ate supper together.  Then I headed out to do chores, in the wind (DAMN brutal wind and it was dark).

While doing chores, I spied a pooty cat.  I shined my cap’s bill mounted light towards the red barn and I spied a PEW cat going inside.  CRAP!  I don’t have that ONE gun with me.  So, I dumped some feed and headed inside to get it.

Once inside, I grabbed this short range weapon of varmint destruction.  I pumped it to inject a 12 gauge shell of holy destruction into the chamber.  Tammy heard this sound.  Like a lot of current Americans, she questioned what I was doing.  Once I explained that there was a Pew Cat in the red barn, she was perfectly fine with me having a gun.

When I came back inside, she asked “Did you get it?”  Nope, it was holed up somewhere looking at me and I didn’t see it.

I figure that most of America is similar to my wife.  On any given day, they will question WHY? would you use that gun.  But as soon as the realization is for the betterment of their daily life…well, yes that is perfectly acceptable.

There are those that would like to tell you that the framer’s of THE constitution did not intend for the 2nd amendment to “mean” that every LEGAL citizen could own a firearm.

Of course, there are those that would like to do away with the electoral college because this is an out-dated part of THE constitution.  Nope, we are just beginning to realize how intelligent those people were.  Unreal.

I don’t watch all of the political channels on a daily basis, nor do I read THE bible on a daily routine.  I don’t need to.  I can see what comes in our classroom, the work ethic in the shop, listen to the coaches, watch the other teachers complain….I know what is out there.  I get it.  I don’t have to like it.  But, I’m not folding up and calling it quits.

Our grandparents grew up in real hard times.  Our parents—hard times.  People like us—-times weren’t easy.  Kids now–guess what?   Not easy.  What the hell?  We are AMERICA!  How did all of us grow up in hard times?  That’s an easy question to answer.  The times are constantly changing.  It’s that simple.  Times change, problems change, we have to UNDERSTAND the change.   It’s already here.  Bitch about it or learn about it.  You make the decision.

And if an active shooter was to happen near you or your loved ones and somebody only had ONE gun and stopped that shooter.  We would all be happy.  You and We the people.   Anti-gun people, whomever.  Well, everybody except the media.

There is a lot about this post that is true.  Most.  But some things just don’t seem quite right.  Really, I did not shoot a pew cat tonight.  That and I might own 2 guns.   But I only have one Winchester 12 gauge home defense shot gun.  But, every time that I shoot it, I wish I had more than one of them.  And I didn’t get to shoot it on this night.  If only one skunk would have shown his ass?!?!

This brings to mind one of my favorite quotes of all time.   “I was born in the floor board of a ’59 Ford wheat truck.  My favorite hobby is hunting skunks with a baseball bat.”

I remember the days of shearing and clipping legs for a bunch of wethers headed to T-Town.  There will come a time when I remember those days fondly, but now is not the time. I’ve had a hand in a lot of winners at Tulsa in several species.  I don’t have a lot of happy memories about any of them.  But, I will get to eat at Tally’s.

I survived another week of teaching.  We got word this morning that Shattuck FFA had the grand champion ag mechanics project at the Tulsa State Fair.  This evening I turned does in with bucks.  I tagged baby calves.  Tammy and I checked mini-herfs.  She didn’t want to cook and I didn’t want to clean up so…..Charlie’s it was.

Our neighbors, Larry & Marilyn Nickeson were already there.  So, we shared a table and solved all problems in the southern Fargo region of Ellis County.

The stars are shining bright, we need a good rain and life is good.  I’m not going to waste a bunch of words. Sometimes, yes sometimes, I know when to say when.  I’m done.  Have a good one.  And here’s to nothing but horseshoes and shamrocks to you people.

And then….I know not to do this, but…I’m stupid and not very smart, so send me a message about a blog topic.  You write it.  Keep it clean.  Keep it on some kind of quasi goat/Kelln type topic ( which means it is wide open).  Keep it to somewhere about 1,500 words.  In order to keep the damn $chinese from hacking this deal…..send it to my last name@kellnlivestock.com  Make it a cool, relevant topic.  It will be after Tulsa before I post this deal.  I’ve offered the keyboard to the Dragon Lady before.  She wanted NO part.  Here’s your chance to come up with something cool. If you want it no-name. Fine.  If you want your name slathered all over it.  Get after it.  Basically, have fun with it.  My blog can be your blog.  Bring it.  Yes, there is a chance of numerous guest bloggers.

I’m not smart.

We hauled kids to COLT conference this week.  Chapter Officer Leadership Training was held in Enid, OK on the 24th.  Officers are in official dress and the advisors need to be dressed up as well.  Coat, tie, slacks and my favorite smooth-quill ostrich dress boots for my part.  Pics have to be taken.  I have always let the kids choose where we eat for lunch.

I have always felt like we are dressed to the hilt, so let’s go eat something good.  This year, the kids chose Freddy’s.  As in a fast food Freddy’s burgers.  I like Freddy’s, especially their jalapeño fry sauce.  They are good but dang dudes.  Not what I had in mind.  The kids chose, so there we go.

While standing in line to order a burger, I looked at the guy running the register.  He was wearing safety glasses.  I mean like ANSI Z 87+ quality safety glasses.  And..what in the hell…he has a pair of black eyes.  So, of course, I am studying this deal.  The black eyes don’t look like somebody got their ass-whipped black eyes.  He kind of acts a bit off…I don’t know…maybe I shouldn’t ask him about the glasses or the black eyes.  He kind of has the look of someone that walked into a closed door.  IDK.  Against my better judgement, I decide not to bring it up.

I go to pay for Mrs. Abbey and I’s meal and he says, “Wait.  Don’t put the card in yet, I need to include your discount.”

Alright, alright, alright.  I wait, he tells me to insert card, I follow instructions.  I pay.  Get the receipt and our order #.  I sit down at a table and I wonder–hunh? How much is the discount?  So I look at the receipt.

WTF?  RUSM?   This can’t be right.  I could have kept all of this to myself.  But NOOO!! I showed Mrs. Abbey.  I asked, “Do you see anything off about this receipt?”

She looks at it, studies it and then says, “I guess you ordered a burger with pickles, mustard and NO onions.”

JEEZZZ!?!?   No!   She then looks at it and “Oh,  “HHAAAAAAAAA!!!!  This is awesome!”

At this juncture in time, I see the Aline-Cleo ag teacher checking his receipt for his customer #.  So, I ask, “What kind of discount did you get?”   He studied his paper and replied, “I didn’t get any discount.”   SON OF  A female dog!!

I really don’t have an issue with getting a SENIOR CITIZEN discount.  $2.28 were saved.   However, here are my problems.

1–I should have asked the clown about his black eyes and the safety glasses.  I could have gotten $2.28 worth of a story out of this deal.  I decided to be nice and it didn’t work out.

2–I like and respect Mr. Randy Pullan.  One of the all-time great livestock guys.  I could write a blog about the Pullan family.  (might have to one of these days)  But he is in his upper fifties.  I’m not.  Just saying that he is older than me and looks older than me.

3–The school was paying for this meal.  So, I did not actually save $2.28 from this deal.  I got kicked in the nuts and the school saved $2.28.

4–I have a feeling that those two black eyes and the safety glasses were a result of somebody else getting a senior citizens discount that really didn’t want one.

In all actuality, I was not offended by the discount.  Mrs. Abbey has gotten $200 and 28 dollars worth out of this story.  The kids loved the story.

All in the day….I hope all of you have a great one and a better tomorrow.  Here’s to nothing but horseshoes and shamrocks for most of you and a pile of quasi-offensive discounts for the rest of you.

Sunday found me in OKC.  Monday in Tulsa.  Tuesday in Enid.  I was a bit road weary.  A  buddy of mine had mentioned watching the PBS documentary about Country Music.  Tuesday night, at midnight, I saw that episode 7 of 8 was airing.  I stayed up till 2:30am to watch it.  It was so, so good.  I like Dolly.

Tonight, I finished pulling CIDRs and doing the day2day chores so that I could watch this final episode.  I told Tammy not to cook.

Now I am pissed!  It was good but if you are going to cover country music from 83 to 96 there better be a pile of George Strait.  They spent more time on Vince Gill than Keith Whitley.  Only mentioned Shania Twain.

Not enough George.  I like Garth but I bet he watched this and said, “Ms. Yearwood, they should have put more KING George Strait into this tv flick.”

No matter.  It is still a good watch. The real problem that I had with these flicks.  It is on PBS, so no commercials.  But, some of us are now at an age, where a well placed commercial break helps the bladder.  Not on PBS–no breaks–and it is hard to guess where to take a piss break.

We are surrounded by stupid people.  Stupid is all around.  And stupid people reproduce.  Always.  However, some really aren’t stupid, they are just ignorant.  I don’t like ellen.  Never have.  I don’t find her funny.  I don’t care for her politics.  In reality, I don’t pay her much mind.  But, I have never thought of her as stupid.  She obviously is not stupid.  ellen is smart and has built a brand and empire around her.  She is just ignorant.  Ignorant of the facts.

To me, and most of you as well, it is all common sense.  But to those like ellen that have not been a part of the production of food–plant or animal, it is NOT common sense.  Here’s what they don’t know (and they really don’t care but…)

Each and every creature was put on this Earth for a specific purpose.  The honey bee may very well be the most important.  I like koalas, penguins and warthogs.  I’m also real fond of the animals that make steaks, hamburgers, bacon, smoked pork loins and ribs.  I digress.  Take a look at our cattle operation.  These creatures were developed and put here by a higher power.  They have a perfect design to eat plants that I would not nor cannot eat myself.  These cows can eat grass THAT is growing on otherwise un-usable land.  This land is not fit to grow crops that people would consume.  It wouldn’t make a good golf course or ball field.  So, these cows can use land that is not otherwise used to in order eat plants that aren’t meant for human consumption and in turn, they make protein.  Some of the best protein that this world has ever seen.  And yours, mine, all of our ancestors have eaten beef and other large ruminants.  Not an opinion, just a fact.

My accountant can show you that it would be cheaper for me to BUY hay than it has been to grow this stuff.  Fuel, fertilizer, swathing, baling.  The production of plants is not cheap.  I can produce meat protein cheaper with less fuel than I can produce plant protein.  Not an opinion.  Just facts.

And yes, these cows fart while digesting this grass.  Yes, farts are made of methane.  Guess what?  Ellen farts when she digests her impossible burger or bean based protein shake.  You know what?  I fart too after bacon, steaks, burgers, fajitas, tacos, ribs.  We all do.  The cows, pigs, goats, the little celebrity dogs, all of us mammals give off gas.  And they always have.  Bison, elephants, elk, deer, rural people, city people, rich, poor, black, white, no matter what…we all give off gas.

The cool thing is the fact that by all of us giving off gasses that are high in Carbon Dioxide, we actually are making plants healthier.  Since, plants actually NEED carbon dioxide in order to complete the dang neart perfect chemical equation called—Photosynthesis.  Yes, plants need co2 so that they can make glucose and oxygen.  Plants do this to make the grass that the cows eat, the kale that high rent people eat, the taters that I crave and the beyond meat burgers that are in style.  And as a result, no matter what you ate, you fart, giving off more co2 which helps the plants.  Common sense.  Sure.  But no to all.

Eating beef is a first world kind of deal in all actuality.  Look at the countries that consume the most beef.  The US of A, Germany, Australia, Japan, Great Britain, France, Brazil, etc.  Why?  Common sense.  First, these countries have large areas of grassland.  Two, we can afford to eat beef.  Beef takes longer to produce–average age a of a butcher steer is 18 months.  And they eat a lot.  Eating beef has always been a high level type of diet.  Don’t believe me, read the bible.  Numerous passages about killing “the fatted calf” for special occasions.

Now, are we going to get in a discussion about feedlot produced cattle?  Sure can.  That corn, silage, etc.  was not meant for human consumption.  So, cattle in a feedlot eat this stuff and make even tastier beef.  Have there been abuses in confined animal feeding operations.  Yep.  Sure.  Just the same as some high end people have owned private islands and entertained other high end humans to abuse other humans.  Common sense to you or I.  There are stupid people amongst all walks of life.

But starving people could eat that stuff instead of those farting cattle. NO!  Taste the corn that cattle are fed.  I dare you.  Starving people would be better off if we could figure out how to use the PREPARED FOOD that is wasted at restaurants, everyday.  Your guilty.  I’m guilty.  We have all chunked excellent food because we were full or didn’t like something.  Once again, a first world problem.

Then, there are goats.  The most consumed meat on the planet is goat meat. This is hard to believe in America.  But common sense shows us why goat is eaten worldwide.  1–No religious implications.  2–Cheap to keep around.  I’m not talking about these damn show goats.  We are discussing real goats.  They eat things that other animals won’t eat.  I can put a bale of crab grass or bermuda in with calves.  Goats that are in the same pasture will not eat it. 3–They reproduce quickly and kids can be butchered in a couple of months.  4–You could have a milk goat–breed her, get a couple of kids, milk her, then eat the kids.  MOST of the world likes this creature.

I though goats were cool until I penned them up, fed them high quality feed stuffs and tried to make them into a creature other than what GOD intended.  It is no wonder doe goats are satanic.  They were meant to be a free-roaming, browsing animal that did it’s own thing.  Most goat breeders don’t even understand this fact.  They aren’t stupid.  Just ignorant.

The stupid people…. are all of us…. in agriculture.  We sit back and watch/listen/read about what some celebrity mouthpiece says about agriculture or meat.  We get pissed.  We need to be teaching people about agriculture.  They don’t know.  They aren’t stupid.  They are just several generations removed from agriculture and therefore, ignorant of the facts.  Big business that produces food products understands the difference between stupid and ignorant.  Advertising.  Watch tv commercials.  They are targeting a certain audience.  And that audience is WAY BIGGER than any of us.

Non GMO wheat products. There are ZERO GMO wheat products.  Why?  Because there hasn’t been any GMO wheat used yet.  False advertising to say that their product is NON GMO?  No.  Just not truthful.  They are playing on the fact that consumers are ignorant.  Guess what pasta brands are the highest sellers–the ones that advertise non gmo.  Nongenemodiscuit–a triscuit with no gmo wheat.  Guess what?  All wheat based crackers/biscuits are non gmo.  EVERY damn triscuit ever sold is a nongenemodiscuit.

      Same with chicken.  Oh, and the whole world eats chickens.  Chickens and goats.  No religious implications.  Easy to keep.  Multi purpose.  But, there are companies that advertise antibiotic free or hormone free chickens.  What?  Those ads look good.  But think how many shoppers choose the “free” everything chicken.  There is a good chance that their snot-nosed kid is on antibiotics and mom as well as daughter are taking birth control pills.   However, there has been an industry wide ban of using hormones in poultry for decades.  So, basically, all US chickens are hormone free.  Unlike the humans that are on hormones for attitude, emotions, low t, estrogen replacement, sexual frustrations, athletic success, healing, whatever.

       And the anti-biotic claim?  Just like people, chickens get sick.   One person at school or work gets sick, most  everyone there will get sick.  Animals are no different.  And when a barn of chickens get sick, they use antibiotics to get them well.  Why?  Otherwise, the whole barn will get sick and possibly die.  Just like people, a dose of meds is needed.  

        So, how does a company advertise “anti-biotic free” chicken when it is impossible for all chickens to be antibiotic free?  The barns that didn’t get sick and get meds are “free” and sold as such.  The barn that got sick?   Well, that barn of birds gets sold under a different name, at a cheaper price and in a product like say, chicken strips at a fast food joint, restaurant or school where that same snot-nosed kid is going to eat it.  Not stupid.  Just ignorant consumers.    

        Judging from the comments about the cover songs post, this was a popular topic.  The first comment came in via text at 4:45 am on Saturday.  I had some omissions that I did not know about.  Sure enough, Skynyrd had a cover song or two, Haggard had some.  But I also got a drunk text from a goat shower that I know that mentioned that I should never have a list without Motley Crue or Ozzy.  Well, they didn’t do many cover songs.  However, the Crue did have a big hit with a cover song that I should have had on the tip of my typing fingers.  “Smoking in the Boys Room” was originally done by Brownsville Station.  But the Crue did it better.  Not stupid.    Not ignorant.  I just forgot about that one.  

People, I don’t post on a real regular basis.  But, when I do, the word count has been like Cheech & Chong—really high!!

Have a good one today and a better one tomorrow.  I dealt with an exceptionally good group of kids today and guess what?  I get a different set tomorrow that may be even better.

If you want a measure of how old your body is feeling, do what I did tonight.  I told the hay baler to get his SMALL square baler out of the barn.  I had a couple of small acreage plots that had a nice cover crop mix on it–German millet, BMR hay grazer, mung beans, red ripper cow peas and some crab grass.  I did tell him when that bale counter got to 200 to shut that SOB off!  Thank GOD!

There was a bit of rain in the forecast but it wasn’t looking strong.  I decided that I didn’t want to gamble with it. I got home from school, hooked onto the trailer and slowly started loading.    Duke showed up just in time.  A couple of hours later, 183 bales were in the barn.  And these bales weren’t light.  Duke is in shape and his donkey is dragging as well.  The Dragon Lady was driving and she did manage to throw me off the trailer.  It didn’t kill me, yet.  I think that she missed her chance.  I left 17 bales hoping for a chance of those things getting wet tonight.  I probably screwed up.

Speaking of old, I got hit about the greatest “cover” songs of all time.  I’m dragging ass tonight but this topic intrigues me.  I’m just going to rattle off some of the songs that I listen to and know that they were first done by other artists.  Even though they may be “cover” songs, some of these versions rank in the very best songs of all time.  I mean all time, all genres.

Some cover songs, led me to love the original artists.  Metallica’s version of “Turn the Page” intrigued me.  But, once I realized that was a cover and the original artist was Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, I really delved into Seger’s music.  I still like their sound.

I could also make a list of songs that should never have been covered.  Sheryl Crow singing “Sweet Child o’ Mine” quickly comes to mind.

Sometimes, I feel like the Sports Animal or some other call in sports channel, where some of the callers are regulars.  Text, call, email–It’s all fun.  At times, I get to teach on here, while others I answer questions, sometimes I just tell stories, others I start arguments and other times, I just might piss somebody off.  But, I try to respond to those of you that take the time to read this.  Yes, low rent Kansas goat swapper or Indiana old dude or Georgia flash or Arkansas bored at lunch watching goat show videos from 2011 or flooded in NE OK or I don’t normally read this page from TX or I have a new buck in CA or I only read this after the 3rd person calls me asking about what your dumb ass wrote.  Whomever, wherever, it’s all good.  Let us discuss some cover songs.

Louie, Louie–Yes, that song.  A classic that everyone should recognize.  Made famous by The Kingsmen but first performed by Rockin Robin Roberts & the Wailers.  I remember a rap version of this in the 80s.  If I ever start a band, I will sing this song.  Properly–“A Louie, Louie, aaahhh, Louie, aarrgafghahrhafhherhh”

Red, Red Wine–A high school staple of mine that still puts me in a good humor.  Something about a monkey getting choked?  It was probably the biggest hit for the band UB40.  But it was first done by Neil Diamond.  I would have liked to seen that dude perform live back in the day.

Sound of Silence–The one on the list that does NOT fit.  Simon & Garfunkel made this song a timeless hit.  But the rock band Disturbed made an outstanding version.  I mean, I almost like it better than the original.  It shouldn’t have worked but it is impressive.

Whiskey in the Jar–One of my favorite Metallica songs.  It wasn’t originally theirs but they made it their own.  Originally released by some band called The Dubliners.  Then by Thin Lizzy.  But once Metallica got a hold of it, added a guitar, ooohhh yeah. “As I was goin’ over the Cork and Kerry Mountains…..”  I like this one a lot.  One of the most played on my iTunes list.

Girls just wanna have fun–Who sang it?  Yes, that pink haired chick named Cyndi Lauper.  Everybody from the early 80s remembers this song.  It was huge. And her version is the best.  But she wasn’t the first.  Some dude named Robert Hazard did it first.

Hurt–Oooh!!!  I will not argue with anybody that says that this is the best cover song of all time.  I still remember an early morning in 2003, I was watching VH1 when they actually still played music videos.  I was getting ready to walk out the door, but before I shut off the tv, as I always did, I waited to see if the next video was a good one.  OOHH snap!  I watched it, stood there and then went to the back to tell Tammy that I just watched the most powerful video that I had (or still) have ever seen.  The video of this song is POWERFUL!  Cash was old.  The original version was done by NineInchNails, a progressive rock band. These two genres normally don’t mesh.  But the Cash version is wicked awesome and kids today know it.  This one was and is big.

I Will Always Love You–numerous singers have covered this song.  But the original was bad ass.  Dolly Parton wrote & sang the original.  She had a number one hit with it.  BUT, then Whitney Houston got a hold of it and forever more made it the version that still sends chills shooting through your soul.  That movie was good but that song, done by Whitney, was wicked donkey kickin’!  On a side note, her version of the “STAR SPANGLED BANNER” is technically a cover song, as she was not the first to do it.  OOOOHHH MMMYY!!! She did own that version at the ’91 super bowl.  Let’s get real.  This chick could have stood there and sang lyrics like “my dog is a crayon eating retard that licks his own rainbow colored butt” and it would have been good.  No matter, she owned those two songs as timeless classics.  Like, put those versions in the Smithsonian classic.

You ready for the next one.  Yes, this one is a cover song.  You better respect my knowledge of worthless info like this.  I mean you better RESPECT.  Yes, that one.  R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  You know that legendary song by the legendary Aretha Franklin.  We all know it.  And you just spelled it out.  She wasn’t the first one to sing this song.  What?  Hunh?  Another legendary singer named Otis Redding has that credit.  Much like Dolly, he wrote it and then sang it first but another powerhouse singer grabbed a hold of this tune and made it her own.  She had a LOT of hits, but this one defined her.

Walk this way–another great 80s cover song that was a hit for legendary performers.  Aerosmith did well with it and still performs “Walk This Way”.  I still make stupid, old guy jokes and say “Let’s make like Aerosmith and walk this way.”  Back in the 80s, a rap group by the name of Run DMC collaborated with Aerosmith and made a video combining both groups version of this song.  It helped re-ignite Aerosmith and it helped make rap popular to the main stream.  I like both versions.  As I am a child of that age, I loved the video.

I Love Rock N Roll–I’ll bet more than a dime that you didn’t know that this one was a cover.  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts made this tune iconic.  But some band called The Arrows did it first.  However, put another dime in the jukebox, baby will always belong to Joan Jett.

I will name this song as the #1 cover song of all time.  Numerous artists from different genres have done well with this song.  Some will say that Dwight Yoakam did it best.  Others will point to the duet of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter.  However, I distinctly remember the version from the Fine Young Cannibals.  Numerous people have had hits with this song.  They don’t even really have to change much–it can be pop, rock, country, blues and almost gospel.  Kind of like the original performer–THE king–Elvis Presley.  “Suspicious Minds” was a huge hit for Elvis and several other artists.  This song holds records for weeks on charts, numerous charts.  For some reason, this song works for a wide range of artists.  I remember the FYC having a hit with it and thinking that sounds like a Waylon song.  Then I heard Elvis’ original version.  No matter what, we’re caught in a trap if we try to argue these top cover songs.

As I stated earlier, this is just off the top of my head.  I’m sure that if Molly Hatchet, Lynyrd Skynyrd or .38 Special had a great cover song, then Joey Scott will let me know.  Hit me up with great cover songs that I missed.  I do like to read that kind of stuff.

We started with cover crops then cover songs and now maybe, it is that time of year to get some does covered.  I digress.

People, it is a productive Friday night and I’m going to be sore as hell on Saturday.  Have a great day today and a better tomorrow.

We all get caught up in who won what.  It matters, but it doesn’t always matter.  But that is for a different time and place.  However, some things make you stop and think.

I grew up in a place that has amassed a pile of football wins and state championships. They have also gathered several softball titles in recent years.  Go back to the 80’s and Shattuck won a bunch of choir and band titles.  Tammy grew up in an extremely strong basketball program at Arnett.  6on6.  They won a lot.  We get it.

Local book face has been blowing up with some sore losers posting crap about the mighty Indian football team and coaches.  There are lots of posts about numerous state championships.  All well earned.  I’ll back these coaches.  If Duke had wanted to be an athlete, I’d send him anywhere with these people.  There is NOT a more demanding ag teacher that deals with a fleet of hard headed, winning coaches and we have ZERO problems sharing kids!  NONE!  That isn’t how it normally works..but somehow, it does in Shattuck.  Why?   I do not know. But it works.

No matter the state that you live, a state championship matters.  Athletics, stock shows, whatever.  It matters to some more than others.  But, yes, it does matter.

I am well aware that there is some rhetoric that I never won a major goat show with my own kids.  You would be correct.  Of course, that kind of conversation normally comes from someone that has not won much of anything.  But, I strongly agree, Kela nor Duke won Tulsa nor OYE goat shows.  That is my fault and nobody else’s.  Those kids dang sure did the work, showed them properly and helped others win.  But, I managed to not do it right.

However, both of our kids have won national titles.  Yes, national.  No matter how you measure it, one only needs to go to our basement and see the plaques and banners.  We raised two different kids. But we are equally proud of both of them.   Kela won a 2009 national FFA agri-entreprenuership award.  They don’t do this anymore, but she won it and came home with a good check.  Duke won the Arizona National Livestock Show in the ag mechanics division in 2018.   Notice, the “national” in the name of the show.   Oh, he also won the barrow show at Phoenix in 2012.  Which would make him a 2 time national champion.

And just to set the record straight, Kela did show a grand wether goat at the State Fair of OK.  Granted, that ain’t OYE or Tulsa.  But, she also showed the grand champion pen of broilers at Tulsa.  And I guarantee you that those birds were way more profitable than any goat that we showed.  Actually, that isn’t true.

In 2004-2005.  Kela showed a wether from Don Lenhart and Sonny Wagner that was a sickly little bastard when I picked him up.  He was a triplet and I had already bought the other two wethers, so they gave “Rascal” to Kela.  She and I nursed him back to health.  He was grand at the 2004 State Fair of OK, won a class at Tulsa and was the first ever grand wether goat at Woodward District in 2005.  His triplet brothers also won classes at Tulsa and Danielle Litzenberger had the reserve grand at Tulsa that year with one of them.

Sonny gave Kela pick of his herd in 2005.  And I quote, “That black headed girl gets first pick of everything.  Her damn dad doesn’t get any say.”  Fine.  She came out of the pen with a tag # for a paint hipped goat.  I remember thinking,  “You did good girl!”  How good?

That goat won several jackpots, was in the grand drive at the State Fair of OK and the Tulsa State Fair, was the first ever grand wether goat at Enid District and was Reserve Grand at the 2006 OYE.  He sold for $16,000 at the OYE premium sale.  Yes, we liked that goat.

My favorite state championship in our house, I have to think about it for just a minute.  Duke won several ag mechanics titles.  Kela won a pile of CDE contests, including the first ever Opening/Closing ceremonies state contest.  We’ve had success showing stock but….without a doubt…..my favorite win.  Kela winning the State FFA Agribusiness public speaking contest in 2008.  In 3rd place was a long time rival/friend that she had never beaten before that night.  And the girl that ended up 2nd…it was the only time that she did NOT win a state title.

You can read this and think “That arrogant bastard is bragging about his own kids.”  One, you would be correct.  Two, it’s my blog.  Go elsewhere and read about your own kids accomplishments.  I would love to hear about them, but….I do brag about lots of other kids on this deal.  More than my own in all actuality.  If nothing else, there are grandparents that like reading this stuff.

Actually, I would like to be bragging about something else.  But I can’t.  Way2Cool.

I think that I will end this blog with my favorite quote, “Try not.  Do or do not.  There is no try.”

How does this fit the Kelln piece of paradise south of Fargo, Oklahoma?   Basically, if a kid wants to try something, Tammy and I are game.  And we ain’t going to just try it, we are going to do it right.  Showing pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, calves, welding, speaking, judging, working, hunting, fishing, chasing goals, having fun, whatever.  If you’re going to do something, do it right.

Dang, I like those Star Wars movies.  I just wish this light saber actually cut.