The media is suppose to be the watchdog of democracy. It is SUPPOSED to provide the facts, just the facts, and only the facts. It shouldn’t align itself with any political party, and it should stay neutral on all fronts. What happened? Either my watchdog died, or it is terribly lost in the deep dark world of lies, propaganda, and politics. Oops, I’m sorry, aren’t all those the same thing?  I wasn’t horribly shocked to see the Dallas Morning News announce their support for Hillary Clinton. At least they aren’t lying and saying they are unbiased and providing just the news. At least they are telling us they are doing what most other news media in the county is doing, supporting the left agenda. This upsets me to no end. I went to college for journalism, this is not the journalism I was taught. It wouldn’t be any better it they had stepped out and announced their support for Donald Trump. You don’t do that. You just provide the facts as you find them, not as you believe they should be.  This is why I am no longer a journalist. My writing reflects that, both in style, and in the fact that it is an OPINION, not news.  There isn’t an institution out there that isn’t stacking the deck in the favor of the side of the political world they have found themselves aligned with. Enough!! Can’t we just have a news service that provides the facts, then give equal amounts of time and print to each side for their OPINION??? I thought it was the Dallas Morning NEWS….Not the Dallas Morning EDITORIAL. I cancelled my subscription. If you don’t stand up for what you believe in then you can’t complain about the outcome. Good riddance. I’ll have to find my news sources another way. It might as well be TMZ…..I’ll go throw up now while my college professors roll over in their graves.

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My friend was playing this morning at the Shops at Legacy in Plano, TX.

They have their Live Music Series this fall and he plays there often. My daughter and I went and enjoyed the morning and the cooling weather. After sitting there for a while it dawned on me that the next day would be 15 years since 9/11.

Many people have asked me the question, “Where were you when you heard about the Twin Towers?” Of course most of us can recall the exact moment we heard. Many innocent people died, and millions of shocked people pulled together. Fifteen years have come and gone and now where are we? A country torn apart from within. We don’t need terrorists to do the dirty work for us, we are managing just fine on our own. A football player making 19 million a year can’t even stand up for his own country and he has thousands cheering him on. People are shooting at our police officers while the police officers are scared and shooting at people. People get shot for attacking an officer, yet the officer is looked at as evil. It seems like evil is getting more and more common, yet harder to define. Murder rates are climbing, and political races seem criminal. It is frustrating and can be scary.

After he finished playing, I talked with my friend, sharing my thoughts and worries about the future. I asked him what he thought about the world and how anyone would want to raise kids in it. The friend I came to see play, who is from Poland, a country that has seen it’s share of war, hatred, turmoil, and terrorism, just smiled and said, “You adjust. Life changes and you have to change with it.” He smiled and went on his way, adjusting to life. I smiled and wanted to hug my daughter. There can be hope in humanity, even if it’s a small glimmer of one.

I thank my dear friend for the encouragement. I hope as a country we can adjust. I hope we can start trying to walk in another persons shoes for a change. I hope people will begin to become accountable for their own lives, and their own actions. I hope for the future that the fast moving pendulum will finally start swinging back the other way toward peace and innocence.

My prayers go out to all those that lost loved ones on that awful day 15 years ago, while my heart hurts for a nation that has lost its way.

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Live music on the weekends can be hard to find in the DFW area. I had a friend playing at the  Cool Rivers Cafe so I decided to check the place out. This is an establishment where you can eat, drink, play, or just watch live entertainment.

I didn’t eat in the restaurant, but it was nice and had a rustic feel. It is finished out in the style of a mountain lodge. Large beams line the ceilings, fireplaces are covered in river rock, and the lighting sports antler adorned chandeliers. It has a nice relaxed atmosphere with low lighting that is perfect for romance, but also has a casual feel for friends and family too.

On the opposite side of the restaurant is a bar with a cigar lounge, sports area, pool hall, and a stage for live music. The cigar lounge sets encased by glass to one side of the bar. There are booths and tables in the bar area with the stage on the far side. Behind glass sets another area with four large pool tables.

On Friday night, August 27, 2016 they hosted the band Big City Outlaws.

Just as I expected, the music was great. It was a modest crowd, lots of people were there, but you could still sit and enjoy the music while having a drink or meal. The food from the bar was excellent and the service friendly and efficient. On the down side, there was the cigar smoking in the bar, but that is fazing out. They are moving all smoking to the cigar lounge beginning Sept. 1, 2016. I did leave smelling like cigar smoke. Being a millennial, my daughter, who went with me, was shocked by having been exposed to smoke. Thank God for all those smoking bans.

The atmosphere was nice in each section of this establishment. This chain has several different locations in the Dallas Fort Worth area. The location for this posting is 1045 Hidden Ridge Irving, Tx. The live music is every Friday and Saturday night from 9:30pm to 1:00am. The parking lot is well lit if you’re leaving late at night. Check it out and see if your favorite artist is playing there, or go in and see if you can find a new favorite!!

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