Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.63 - Double Nickel 2008 Announced

Beta Pi:

YO - WAKE UP, THERE - 2008 APPROACHES!: This is a heads-up "e-mail" - it is not "the blog." This e-mail contains the written content of this"Beta Pi Blog"issue, not the entire content. The blog includes pictures, links, Archives of previous issues, and other time-wasters - so you simply must raise your "bird" finger and "Click on" the web address:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/ .

DOUBLE NICKEL 2008 ANNOUNCED: I was talking on the phone with Buck Biller

fbiller1@msn.com , yesterday evening - Buck is in Brooklyn, New York visiting his son, Hank. (I fully expect to turn on my TV and see Buck appear in Times Square, hoisting one in merriment, on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve show tonight!) Anyway, I’m going to Brooklyn (at some point) I told Buck, because my Dad was born there, and I have some Simons ancestors who are buried there in Queens. So I told Buck, let me know next time you’re going up to visit Hank, and I’ll rendezvous with you in Brooklyn. Buck reminds me - several Ticks live in the New York City area, Ollie Grace ograce@graceny.com , Tison Keel tkeel@daikin_america.com , Jack Nichols jhn754@charter.net , Clyde Noel cnoel@optonline.net

, and others (geezer moment) - it could turn into a real party - and Buck (pondering how old we’ll be in 2008) said, "we’ll call it Double Nickel! Why wait until we turn 60?" And thus, let the record reflect, Double Nickel 2008 was conceived by Brother Buck, and with any luck it will happen sometime in ‘08.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY DEAR FRIENDS . . .: Last night I had more than usual number of dreams - and this morning I had a burst of energy - so I got to thinking. How to write about this . . .

Vinny

starr2456@comcast.net

had sent me a gag gift a few years back - a deck of cards with our picture from "the year 2000" or so. Vinny has this "thing" about cards. My Dad, George H. Simons loved cards (maybe too much, I must confess) and he had this gag gift he gave to his pals - sort of a promotional gift, he was a realtor. The cards were printed with "Who is George H. Simons?" And I had forgotten about that, but Vinny - being a collector, still had a GHS deck. Well, this whole Double Nickel idea Buck had seemed like a good bet for a "cards" theme - the next Stooge Reunion. It will depend on Buck, but we’ll work on it.

Mean time, my Tick-a-lor brothers, I wish each of you good health and peace of mind in 2008! "Should old acquaintance be forgot . . ." And let me add, 2007 brought many blessings for which I am grateful, and I hope ‘07 was a good year for you as well.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: The Tick-a-lor Blog roster now stands at 84 Beta Pi brothers, 72 of whom have e-mail addresses. Beta Pi Blog is a beast which feeds on Tick-a-lor e-mail addresses - feed the beast!

VTL,

Larry Simons,

Beta Pi, 72

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

A Christmas e-Card and poem

Lawrence A. Simons

Rutherford, DeMarco & Simons

Suite 400, Washington Square

214 Second Avenue North

Nashville, TN 37201

Merry Christmas,

and a Happy

2008!

Larry & Ann Simons,

William, Maggie

& Andrew

Christmas Poem

Noel sings to the Evergreen tree,

My friend - I love your lush deep green

It warms me, I am covered in Snow.

Evergreen whispers to Noel,

When the Winter Wind touches me

I can feel your love, I know it is Christmas Season.

Winter Wind calls to the Evergreen

I felt the breath of the Carolers’ song

So I knew I must visit you.

Carolers sing of Peace on Earth

And I am weeping,

I pray for an end to War.

Evergreen heard this and said - let me pray with you,

I will be green until Peace comes.

Winter Wind saw this and wept for joy.

And Noel was so moved she became colder,

And the tears that Winter Wind shed

Turned into falling Snow.

Then Snow and Winter Wind and Evergreen said to Noel,

Without you, we are lost - pray with us - for the War persists.

Noel prayed. Lord what can we do but pray?

Peace on Earth, goodwill to men.

Larry Simons

12/14/07

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.62 - Noel, Noel, Jo-el!

Beta Pi:

E-MAIL PUBLICATION POLICY CHANGE: Warning -if you thought that this "e-mail" is the "blog" - it is not. This e-mail contains only the written content of "Beta Pi Blog", not the entire content. The blog includes pictures, links, Archives of previous issues, and other time-wasters - so you must "Click on" the web address:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/ .

Do it now, I beseech you.

Brando as "Jor-el"

NOEL, NOEL, JO-EL! - BETA PI BLOG WELCOMES JOEL KADARAUCH: So, it was last Friday, I’m perusing the "comments" posted on blog issue #60, when - what to my surprise - there is a comment from screen-name "itchybrother75". Of course, I suspected this must be none-other-than Joel Kadarauch. Here is the comment:

"Itchy Brother to Tic-a-lors.....Itchy Brother to Tic-a-lors..............come in please. I could not resist piping up, as your mention of my beloved Round House brought tears to my eyes. Happy Holidays!"

Talk about making my day! Its not everyday that a comment appears under an anonymous screen name. There being no connecting e-mail address, I surfed the internet on Joel’s name, zeroed in on him - but came up with no e-mail link.

However, I learned a few choice facts. Joel was recently named to the board of directors of Odom Corporation, and apparently is doing well in the beer business in Alaska. Joel’s name also popped up in connection with folk festivals and mandolins in Alaska - very cool - and there is a link to a band Joel played with (on the right) which has pictures - but still no e-mail address. Undaunted, I resorted to contacting Joel by telephone, and left a voice message. That evening, to my utter delight, I got an e-mail message from Joel

joel.kadarauch@odomcorp.com

, divulging his e-mail address:

"Indeed it is, and I can enjoy the blog in anonymity no more.

Try (e-mail address)

We’’ll have to catch up, Larry. I was talking to Mike Noble the other day about you, Gib-stone and the Tic-a-lors!

- Joel"

Joel, many great memories hanging with you in Mims Hall and the Tick House, playing guitars. I remember freshman year, there was a "coffee house" event in the lounge at Mims Hall, several wanna-be-folk-singers-in-residence - including you and me - played songs to the delight of a contingent of coeds. I remember you did a very difficult solo, a Stephen Stills song (I think). I also remember fondly your oft-repeated exclamation, "Jom-Bo" (and its derivative "jom-bo-lita!)

Welcome aboard, Itchy!

NICKNAME CONTEST

: Be the first brother to tell the tale of how Joel got the nickname "Itchy" and win a Cousin Maylene Fruit Cake. Second Place prize: Moon Pie & RC Cola. Third Place: honorable mention in the Gallery of Buffoons.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: The Tick-a-lor Blog roster now stands at 84 Beta Pi brothers, 72 of whom have e-mail addresses. Beta Pi Blog is a beast which feeds on Tick-a-lor e-mail addresses - feed the beast!

VTL,

Larry Simons,

Beta Pi, 72

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.61 - Boss Stein, Come on Down!

Beta Pi:

E-MAIL PUBLICATION POLICY CHANGE: Warning - some Tick-a-lors have erroneously thought that this "e-mail" is the "blog" - it is not. An e-mail is sent out when the blog is published, as a way to promote the blog - but the e-mail is not the actual blog. This e-mail contains only the written content of "Beta Pi Blog", not the entire content. If you ain’t seen the web site, you ain’t seen nothin’! To see the entire blog, which includes pictures and links, and Archives of previous issues, you must go to a "web-site" called "Beta Pi Blog" on the web by clicking on this web address:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/ .

BOSS STEIN, COME ON DOWN!: I had the pleasure of having lunch with John Stein

john.stein@bankofamerica.com

today. Much to report. John and wife Beth have a 17-year-old son, Tyler, who is a senior at University School Nashville, and so John is getting into the whole college application thing. John is President of Bank of America, and we had lunch at the Hermitage. Boss and I share a few hobbies, bicycling and guitars. So now that I know that Boss has a guitar, he is fair game for BYOG attendance pressure.

And now . . . Tick-a-lo news from The Boss. It was great hearing Boss talk of days-o-yore. Boss told me that he, Fotch dougcampbellsr@comcast.net

, and Thomas McCown thomas_mccown@med.unc.edu , met up with Matt Hart matthewjhart@yahoo.com

in New York City - within a few years after Matt graduated - and I will not repeat the story, because Boss is going to pen it, and I hope it will soon appear as a blog feature, complete with a photo Boss has.

Reminiscing about Heaven Lee, Boss corroborated the tale of that historic event in the annals of Tick-a-lo history, when Brother Jeff Overby

JeffOverby@aol.com - managed to bring the famed Printers' Alley Exotic Dancer to have luncheon at the ATO House. The brothers were all quite well mannered, and the great Ms. Lee enjoyed the dining experience under the watchfull eye of Laura Wilson. Recalling the amazement of the brothers, at how in the world the JeffMiester pulled that one off - who knew -

Boss was unable to say, and neither am I, so Overby’s reputation as international playboy is beyond reproach, as far as we know.

Boss also recalls running into a non-Tick here in Nashville, several years ago, named Steve Gibson, a.k.a "Gib-stone" the guitar-god who lived in "the round house" just off campus. Ah yes, I also remember making many trips to the round house, to hang out and listen to Gibson play guitar, and he was kind enough to show me a few things - he taught me the tricks Randy Scruggs used in playing his open-tuning version of "Both Sides Now" which was a track on the famed "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" record - I was thrilled! Vanderbilt Police Officer Donny Lattig was also a frequent visitor of the round house, as was Joel Kadarauch and Ben Pedigo

banjoworks@sbcglobal.net

. Anyway -Boss met Gib-stone years later - Gibson a Nashville Producer - in his capacity as "Banker to the Stars."

Boss is heading up the 2008 Reunion effort for the entire Class of 1973 (no joke), so one of the other ‘73 ATO greats will be rounding up the Dudes-o-‘73 for ATO ReunionFest ‘08, which will play out in the parallel universe known only as "Tick-le-dom" - simultaneously with Vanderbilt Reunion ‘08. Boss sends a big "shout-out" hello out to all Tick-a-lo’s.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: The Tick-a-lor Blog roster stands at 84 Beta Pi brothers, 71 of whom have e-mail addresses. Get e-mail addresses to me! Expand the known Tick-a-lor universe!

VTL,

Larry Simons,

Beta Pi, 72