Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2009, No.15 - Funky Engleman Unearthed!

Beta Pi:
IS "BETA PI BLOG" JUNK E-MAIL?: Yes, and no! It is not this e-mail. This e-mail contains some written content of the "Beta Pi Blog", not the entire content. The "blog" is actually a web-site, it includes pictures, links, Archives of previous issues, and other time-wasters. To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com/ .

POETRY CORNER

THE ATO POET LAUREATE,

WELBORN SHAKESPEARE:

In response to the last Blog, that All-Time-Great Schwim-baggio, George Welborn sent around a poem he composed. I was moved by it.

Henceforth, in addition to "Schwimbaggio" - George is hereby dubbed "Welborn Shakespeare." Here is the "Bard’s" worthy Tick-a-lor Poem:

‘Twas the summer before reunion and all through the Nation,
The Tick-a-lors were planning a VU October vacation.

The now graying Brothers were snuggled all warm in their beds,
With visions of Whales Tales and wenches in their heads.

For soon there’d be drinking, Tales and carousing;
Just like the old days when their youth was arousing,

For a gathering was at hand and would be quite the site
If only the participants could still stay up late at night.

For the Class of ‘74 was the largest ever you see,
With an incredible, amazing amount of diversity.

Never a dull moment with such a range of personalities
Including jocks and swimmers and dealers and Yankees.

The diversity there seemed to impact them all,
With a number of great evenings they can barely recall.

Though from bad memory or alcohol it may not be clear
It is certainly known that there was always lots of beer.

And lucky for them that Alex and Laura were there,
For their patience and tolerance was beyond compare.

Providing food for their stomachs and advice for their ears
That was only appreciated later after a number of years.

So be forewarned all those that are brave enough to join in
You may have to wear name tags to still recognize a friend.

For damaged livers, medications, prostates and bladders
May have taken a toll on faces but it’s the spirit that matters.

So in spite of the decades of time that have passed,
And for me it has all gone way, way too fast,

I would be most delighted to again see my old friends
At the ATO reunion where the fun never ends.

George Welborn
678-644-9376

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George, I think I can speak for all of the Brothers when I say, thank you for your poem, and we will be extremely delighted to see you, as well!

FUNKY ENGLEMAN UNEARTHED!:

So, I get this e-mail from ATO Brother D.R. Flower, - he found Don "Funky" Engleman dme0816@yahoo.com as follows:

"Larry,

I have a newbie for you. I recently had contact with another Tic brother - Don Engleman, class of ’78. I mentioned the blog and he had not heard of it but was interested. I will leave it in your worthy hands (fingers) to send a formal invitation.
His email address is: __

"I love all my ATO Brothers"

D.R. Flower"

If you have followed the Blog from its inception, you’ll know the Blog has been on Funky’s trail, searching for him since 2006, see Archives, Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.58.

Ironic that Funky would surface now - several months after the 2008 Reunion, which would have been Funky’s 30th.

Funky, I recall the day you (a pledge) and I (erstwhile co-Pledge Trainer) worked on painting the Fence we built - with creosote. I told you that day,

"Funky, this (creosote) is some mighty funky shit, the vapors are about to gag me!"

Thanks, D.R. - masterful work, my Brother!

BETA PI BLOG WELCOMES DON "FUNKY" ENGLEMAN!

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COMMENT, YE HEATHEN!: Check out comments by clicking the "button" - as Buck likes to call it, is at the bottom of the "page", it is very small - it is small red letters "Comments" - just below "VTL, . ." Call me and I’ll walk you through it - 615-512-1448. Too lazy? Send me an e-mail and I’ll post your comment.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: As of June 25, 2009, the Blog roster stands at 97 Beta Pi brothers, 89 Tick-a-lo men online who have e-mail addresses, and 8 ATO Girlfriends-o-Yore. If you have an e-mail address on a Brother, or sister - don’t sit on it - DO IT!

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, 72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2009, No.14 - '74 Beta Pi Blog Poll

Beta Pi:
IS "BETA PI BLOG" JUNK E-MAIL?: Yes, and no! It is not this e-mail. This e-mail contains some written content of the "Beta Pi Blog", not the entire content. The "blog" is actually a web-site, it includes pictures, links, Archives of previous issues, and other time-wasters. To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com/ .

‘74 BETA PI BLOG POLL:

I like to listen to political shows, Hardball with Chris Matthews and Countdown with Keith Olberman are a few favorites - and every day I hear about this "Poll" or that "Poll" - so I dreamed up a Beta Pi Blog Poll, to send to the Class of ‘74 (whose Reunion is in October).

Here are 2 Poll Questions I sent. Responses (don’t hold your breath) will be posted in the "Comments" section (click on "comments" at bottom of this page):


ATO Class of 74 Poll - QUESTION #1:

October 16 - 17. Homecoming. Reunion. ATO '74, the Greatest Generation (a stretch?).

Here is your Beta Pi Blog Poll Question (pick one):

__ YES. I am "In-but-in-but-in! I will attend ATO Reunion '74.
__ NO. I am a Scumbaggio. I am wimping-out. I am "out-but-out-but-out" for ATO Reunion '74.

Send your e-mail response to Beta Pi Blog. Poll results will be published next blog.
VTL,
Larry

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ATO Class of 74 Poll - POLL QUESTION #2

October 16 - 17. Homecoming. Reunion. ATO '74. Point Man needed.


By comparison, the ATO Class of '73 is much smaller, but they had something you don't (yet) have. A POINT MAN. The Point Man '73 was . . . none other than THE HEME. Heme's excellent Point-man-ship guaranteed that Reunion '73 was a great Tick-a-lor success. If you don't believe it, ask Aber, or Claude Cody, or Cheeks Reed, or Boss Stein, or The Heme hemeself.

Some random nominations for Point Man '74 have been received by the Blog. Here is your chance to vote:
___ TOM "LOVE-MAN" LOVINGGOOD

___ TRAVIS "T" PARR

___ DENNIS "D" PRICE

___ JEFF "SCHWIMBAGGIO" PEROUT

___ CHRIS "THE GREEK" REGAS

___ I NOMINATE ____________ (your nomination)

___ I NOMINATE MYSELF ____________ (your name)

All the Point Man does is drum up interest, take a head count, select a Restaurant for Saturday Night Tick-a-lor Dinner. That is it. No-brainer. The Blog provides on-the-ground support in Nashville (making dinner reservations, etc.). If you don't believe it, ask The Heme.


Send your e-mail response to Beta Pi Blog. Poll results will be published next blog.
VTL,
Larry

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COMMENTS, COMMENTS, COMMENTS: Check out comments by clicking the "button" - as Buck likes to call it, is at the bottom of the "page", it is very small - it is small red letters "Comments" - just below "VTL, . ." Call me and I’ll walk you through it - 615-512-1448. Too lazy? Send me an e-mail and I’ll post your comment.



BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: As of June 23, 2009, the Blog roster stands at 96 Beta Pi brothers, 88 Tick-a-lo men online who have e-mail addresses, and 8 ATO Girlfriends-o-Yore. If you have an e-mail address on a Brother, or sister - fugetaboutit!


VTL,


Larry Simons
Beta Pi, 72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2009, No.13 - Transgender Mom

Beta Pi:
IS "BETA PI BLOG" JUNK E-MAIL?: Yes, and no! It is not this e-mail. This e-mail contains some written content of the "Beta Pi Blog", not the entire content. The "blog" is actually a web-site, it includes pictures, links, Archives of previous issues, and other time-wasters. To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com/ .

Thanks toVinny, and Scott Sheppard, and Frank Collins, and Frank Biller for remembering my birthday! Thanks for the great cards and letters and calls.

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BLOG COMMENTARY
By Lorenzo Bozino


TRANSGENDER MOM?:

Inspiration? So I’m checking out the news, and - inspiration - big story - "Transgendered Man gives birth to second child."

I’m like - OK, that is a crock-and-a-half! My opinion is, as you well know, politically incorrect. But, you know what? I’m inspired, and its truth time.

It is OK with me if a person wants to transgender himself/herself, and I mean that in all sincerity. But let’s be honest here - A MAN DOES NOT GIVE BIRTH. I don’t care what you call this, a man - albeit transgender - did not give birth.
Way back, before VU, when I was in Military School - (I had "Blaggo-style" hair, no?) at Columbia Military Academy in Tennessee, there were lots of Southern boys, good-ole-boys - and I heard this expression, directed at me once - it was a slam, a cutting remark that went:

"Hey boy - you weren’t born ! - a crow shit on a fencepost, and the sun hatched you."

Clever way of calling someone a shit, no? (And yes, there was hazing at CMA, physical and mental, the foregoing slam being a good example of the latter. By the way, the hazing I suffered at CMA made the hazing we went through at VU seem like a cake-walk).

My point is, crows may shit, but babies are born of women, period. Only women have that capability. That is a fact, a true fact.

So, here is what I say about "Transgender Man." For purposes of birthing babies, he is, in fact, a woman (not to be confused with Van "Woman" Sayler).

End of diatribe.


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BETA PI BLOG WELCOMES JERRY NEUBURG:



So, Mark "Marlon" McGann markmcgann@prodigy.net sends me Jerry’s e-mail, and I e-mail Jerry jneuburg@olympiawest.com ! Jerry responded, and showed interest in the Blog.

Jerry is doing fine, living in Herndon, Virginia, working for OlympiaWest Mortgage, and Marlon sucks for not plugging us in to Jerry sooner.
Seriously, thanks Marlon, you are awesome (this is your best work since you found Ken Linden, which was no small feat). We’ve missed you Jerry, welcome to our Virtual Ship of Fools, the Beta Pi Blog.

COMMENTS, COMMENTS, COMMENTS: Blog Vol.2009, No.07 broke the record for number of comments - 33 Comments! CHECK OUT THE "COMMENTS" - BETTER YET POST A COMMENT. (The "button" - as Buck likes to call it, is at the bottom of the "page", it is very small - it is small red letters "Comments" - just below "VTL, . .") Call me and I’ll walk you through it - 615-512-1448. Too lazy? Send me an e-mail and I’ll post your comment.


BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: As of June 10, 2009, the Blog roster stands at 96 Beta Pi brothers, 88 Tick-a-lo men online who have e-mail addresses, and 8 ATO Girlfriends-o-Yore. Go ye forth and find more Brothers and Sisters (and get me the e-mail address)!

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, 72