Apriori Concepts

I've moved my writing efforts for the time to jeffreysykes.wordpress.com

Come visit if you are interested. 

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 02:22 PM | Permalink

Here is a song I was lucky enough to have an online friend, Bill Davies, play piano on. It's a slow, moody song about being separated from my loved one, mixed in with some lyrics about current events.

Still working on those singing lessons.

Donations gladly accepted.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 02:26 PM | Permalink

One can only shake his head at this:

"Reidsville ? Reidsville High School was recognized being recognized for their football team on a state level.

The RHS football team and coach Jim Teague was named "FootballCapital of NC" by the General Assembly in Raleigh, NC. The vote came in at an unanimous 118-0.

Reidsville High School has won more State Championships than any other high school in the state. They hold a total of 16 State Championships.

WFMY News 2"

Somebody needs to get Chelsi's back. 

Helpful. 

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 03:39 PM | Permalink

Jesse's done it again. I'll be waiting patiently for your outrage and condemnation. Not. 

Video.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 07:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

County Manager Tom Robinson says building regional support for the Rockingham County equestrian center is what made the difference in receiving money this year from the General Assembly.

That and a sharp eye from state Rep. Nelson Cole.

The legislature approved $2.4 million to be spent on the Horse Park of the South, the name for a long sought equestrian center slated to be built near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Barnes Street in Reidsville.

Continue reading "Synthesis with NC A&T moves horse park forward" »

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 11:30 AM | Permalink

According to GNR's insightful Raleigh reporter, Mark Binker, the budget deal reached this week includes $2.4 million in borrowing to get Rockingham County's equestrian center moving forward again.

According to the county's business plan for the center, $3.25 million is in hand for construction costs. This new money will put the county about half-way to the $10 million estimated cost of building the center.

The business plan looks very solid and anticipates a net surplus of revenue generated by the center after three years.

County Manager Tom Robinson has listed this project as one of three critical to the local economy. Robinson has told me that if local leaders could get the horse park and the NC 68 connector projects completed, he believed the county could "stand on its own" in terms of other economic development projects.

I personally believe the equestrian center is a vital point in amplifying the culture of creativity many small business owners have kick started in Eden, Reidsville and the county.

Pursuing the NC 68 connector could kick start a large trend in heavy industrial development in the western half of the county, to provide needed political balance in securing local unanimity on the equestrian center.

This looks like good news.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 02:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This reminds me of this. The former. The latter. Related.

Hat tip, Bubba.

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 06:27 PM | Permalink

In "The Paradox of Tarheel Politics", veteran reporter Rob Christensen, of the Raleigh News and Observer, provides a stellar addition to the pantheon of North Carolina political works.

This book is a must read for any politician, journalist, activist, observer or just plain interested party. Christensen deserves a medal for making the subject matter approachable to the layman. As an historical work, the book ranks among the most active and engaging stories in recent memory.

Perhaps a testament to the editors Christensen has had in his career, the prose is engaging and full of energy. There is hardly a weak spot in the entire book. Whether the reader is on vacation with hours on end or a casual nighttime bookworm reading a few pages a night, "The Paradox of Tarheel Politics" is sure to capture and hold their attention.

In this essay, I hope to capture the spirit of Christensen's work while at the same time examining and providing my own interpretations viewed from my personal foundation of conservative, post Reagan-era Republicanism.

I suppose Christensen's main thesis could be summed up, as has been stated in professional reviews, by saying that North Carolina political history in the 20th Century was a dichotomy of one party domination, based on the twin pillars of violence, bigotry and malice toward the aspirations of the state's black citizens and a dedication to otherwise "progressive" policies vis a vis business and education.

As one who grew up in post-integration North Carolina, I find it disgraceful that the state's Democratic Party owes its 110 years of unfettered dominance of the state's political machine to an 1898 white supremacy campaign executed on horseback with torchlight and gunfire.

Continue reading ""The Paradox of Tarheel Politics" : A book review with subjective commentary" »

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 10:33 AM | Permalink

I hope the rest of the state one day gets to know Sen. Phil Berger the way I have. Bright, kind, gentle, exact, but also strong, tough and a great strategist. Berger has been very patient with me, since I first called him to voice a concern I had about state government, to recent brief conversations at local political events. He is always willing to share insights and explain what goes into his actions at the legislature.

I've thought his leadership in the general assembly has been stellar. Republicans across the state would do well to look to Berger as one of the cornerstones to build a conservative legislature upon.

Take this quote for example, on the Democrat's budget, created in secret, closed door meetings, and dumped on the legislature with just hours to digest. The plan calls for more than $800 million in new debt.

AP:

*"Good gracious," said Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican. "I am just concerned about the level of debt -- just about a billion dollars in debt."

Berger said that much borrowing should require voters' approval, instead of letting lawmakers make the call when they vote on the $21.3 billion spending plan next week.

"If we are going to tie down the taxpayers' future, in terms of paying down the debt, we really ought to let them have a say," he said."*

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Posted by Jeffrey Sykes at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)