Candidate or ZZ Top member

Some folks have been giving me a hard time about writing a story on a long-haired, freaky guy who is running for president of the United States. This guy, Arizona resident Daniel Kingery, made his way through McMinnville on Thursday.

People have assumed since I wrote a story about Kingery that I support his presidential bid, which is not necessarily the case. I’m waiting to see who he picks as a running mate before making up my mind.

Personally, I think Kingery would make a better guitarist for ZZ Top than a presidential candidate, but I admire his mission. It takes courage ‘ and plenty of gas money ‘ to drive to all 50 states and ask people to vote for you for president, especially when you’re in bad need of a haircut and a shave.

But considering the presidential choices we’ve been given, either McCain, Obama or Hillary, you can look at Kingery and say he picked an opportune time to run. I think Obama is right on the money when he says it’s time for a change ‘ it’s time to change the candidates we have running for president.

As for other odds and ends, Southern Standard readers may have noticed there have been several pictures of people planting trees in the newspaper this week. This is something I just don’t understand.

For some reason, when people plant a tree, there must be this urge to call the paper and have us come down and take a picture. Why I don’t know.

I’ve never answered the phone and had someone ask: ‘Hey, I’ve got the lawnmower out and I’m about to cut the grass. Could you come over and take a picture’?

Folks never call up and say: ‘Hey I’ve got the water valve shut off and I’m about to repair some plumbing at the Blue Building. Could you come take a picture’?

But give them a shovel and a tree and people think it should be in the newspaper. Like birds who fly South for the winter, this must be some inherent characteristic in people, best I can figure.

And I realize you’re anxious to get to today’s business news, but here’s one final tidbit. It’s about university alumni who give thousands upon thousands of dollars back to their alma mater in hopes, perhaps, of having a building named in their honor.

Brad Feld set his sights nowhere near that high in January when he made a $25,000 donation to the University of Colorado. For his donation, Feld will get a second-floor men’s bathroom named in his honor. I wonder if that means Feld will get his name on individual commodes and urinals?