Thank you. Thank you very much. For kicking me in the head!

Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll, we all know that.  Most of us know that he also loved Cadillacs.  But, did you know that he dabbled in the martial arts?  That's right, Elvis 'The Pelvis' Presley studied martial arts and eventually earned a black belt.  His training started in the US Army, when he was stationed in Germany.  After returning to the US, his martial arts interests continued and he eventually started studying American Kenpo Karate under the tutelage of martial arts legend Ed Parker.  Eventually, Elvis even earned additional black belt degrees but his ultimate lasting skills are debatable.  You can see Elvis in action on YouTube so I'll let you be the judge.  Regardless of just how good, or not good, Elvis was at Kenpo, he did put his own mark on the traditional martial arts uniform, or "gi".  He wore some of the most outlandish karate uniforms ever seen in Memphis!

I know some people who do martial arts and I'm all for it as long as it's done outside.  If I catch anyone doing martial arts inside the house, like when Elvis went crazy on his entourage in his stocking feet, I bark until they stop.  Check out the guy on the far right.  He looks less than impressed.

- Charlie

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles

Given the current situation in the Gulf of Mexico, where thousands of barrels of crude oil are spewing  from the ground on a daily basis, seemingly unchecked, I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.  Completed in 1869, the transcontinental railroad was a monumental task that resulted in a continuous rail link across the United States from east to west.  What, you ask, does that have to do with oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico?  Well, I'm glad you brought that up.  I can't help but wonder how this country might have been different if we had continued to invest in efficient regional and national railroads instead of embracing the carfurious lifestyle.  (Carfurious.  I just made that word up.)  Can you imagine the excitement and ease of a 'US Rail Pass' a-la Europe's 'Euro Pass?'  I hate to knock cars because gosh knows I love them but if the last 70 years had not been so car-centric, we might not have gotten ourselves into so much trouble by being tempted to drill baby drill!

- Charlie

Va-Va-Va-Voom!

Reading in a cozy bed.  It doesn't get much better than that!

- Charlie

Just 'Twain You and Me

Mark once wrote, "A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way." Truer words were never put to paper. Sometimes I run into cats on my nightly walks and when they stand their ground in front of me, I bark like a girl and run away.

Mark Twain had a great moustache!

- Charlie