/ telisha williams
Grading Obama
So here we are, not yet half way through Obama’s first year of his (first) four year term. We’re closing in on the end of his first semester. It looks a lot like my first semester in college- moving into a new place, making new friends, drinking beer, narrowly averting the destruction of the free world… Ok, maybe it’s a little different. One thing’s the same for sure though- it’s report card time! Let me say up front that I’m a tough grader. To me, “C” means average, “B” is really good, and and “A” is really REALLY freakin’ good.
Foreign Policy: A-
Plays well with others. Extremely popular with all the other kids around the globe. Demonstrates deep understanding and knowledge about each of their respective homes. Hopefully he’ll make some headway with the bullies next semester. Better trade policy will help his grade here, too.
Fixing the Economy: B-
Considering the fact that the Seniors thought it would be a funny prank to flush a cherry bomb down the toilet before he got his class schedule, he’s doing OK. Quite a mess. It’ll be a while before this grade sticks, but all the indicators are looking good. Stocks are up, unemployment is… well, up, but at least it’s slowing.
Health Care Reform: Incomplete
Final project is late. I don’t think it’s possible to pull an A out of this one. If it’s turned in before October complete with a public option, he can still pull out a B. Every month after October looses one letter grade. If the final project is missing an affordable public option, I’m afraid it’s an F. 256 seats in the House and 60 seats in the Senate. Whip ‘em into shape. This one might take a few all nighters, but let me say it again… SIXTY SEATS!
Environmentalism: B-
We can bring this one up next semester if he gets more of the stimulus money into green jobs. It’s a great goal, now let’s make it happen. ACES bill is a great start. Increasing the CAFE standards is great. Let’s get the electrical grid fixed. We’re moving in the right direction.
Overall: Still incomplete, but off to a great start. He’s working on a pretty hefty course load. Not to mention those pesky senior pranks again, but they really left him quite a hole to dig out of, and all the Gamma Omicron Pi frat boys aren’t helping any. They just keep TPing the White House lawn and chanting “No! No! No!” at the top of their lungs. Meatheads.
And that’s it! Our last official post as part of the Generation O Blog project on Newsweek. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve really enjoyed getting to know some of the other bloggers and reading through their ideas. Hopefully we’ll be able to stay in touch in the future. We’re pretty easy to follow- www.DandTW.com pretty much tells it all. You can also find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/dandtw. We’ve got a new record coming out this fall, and we’ll be out on the road a lot. Maybe we’ll see some of you at a show!
Be safe-
Doug & Telisha Williams
I remember when we made the decision to quit our day jobs several years back and try to make a living as musicians. Telisha and I both had pretty good jobs and great healthcare. The main thing my parents were worried about was that when we left our jobs, we’d also be leaving our healthcare. We promised that we would buy our own and make it work somehow. And we did- but it’s expensive, and the deductibles are sky-high. A few years ago we both ran into some unexpected health problems and both met our deductibles in the same year. That hurt. We barely made it through. We ate a LOT of meals at mom and dad’s house that year. Thank God for friends and family.
My parents’ other concern was that we would be trading in steady employment for something…. well, a lot less steady and reliable. I suppose it seemed just a little foolish, but we’ve managed to make a pretty good go of it and we usually pay most of our bills. Sometimes. My parents, by the way, have been really supportive, and I’m thankful for that.
We live in Martinsville, VA. It’s a great little place. We’ve lived here pretty much all of our lives. We’re right in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, but we can also be in the ocean in just a few short hours. As touring musicians it’s a great place to live because we’re really not too far from several big highways, and we can get out and on the road pretty quickly and easily.
The problem is that from the time that we left our jobs to follow dreams until now, Martinsville has spiraled into a 21.9% unemployment rate. That means a lot of things. One thing it means is that our decision to follow our dreams doesn’t look quite as foolish- ironically, we’re better off than a lot of other people in town. And that sucks, ‘cause we ain’t all that well off. It also means that there a tons of people in our town without adequate health care.
I keep hearing the argument that all of us do have health care- just go to the emergency room when you have to. To me that’s just ridiculous for a few reasons. First off, emergency care is by nature reactionary. Often it’s just too late once someone feels sick enough to go to the emergency room. Regular checkups would be cheaper for us all, and would keep us all considerably healthier. There is also pride- people want to pay their bills. No one wants to be a drain on society. No one wants to go to the emergency room and then just skip out on the bills afterwards. It baffles me when I hear Republicans even suggest this as an option. All we’re asking for is a fair shot, not a handout. Just the same access to health care that all of our elected officials have.
I know I’ll hear some anecdotal reply, something about welfare moms who just love to live off of the system, about how they just love to live off of my tax dollars. Well, you can just save it. That’s not how it is here in the land of 21.9. People here want to work, and want to provide for their families. As a matter of fact, I’ve traveled all over America and I’ve met the poorest of the poor and I’ve yet to find that proverbial welfare mom. I think as Americans we have more pride than that.
One thing we’ve learned in this part of the country, though, is that we just can’t depend on our jobs to provide our health care simply because we just can’t depend on our jobs. It’s tough times. We wrote this song a few months ago, back in the good ol’ days of 20.2% unemployment. We’ll be releasing it on our new record in a month or so, but thought we’d just toss this one out here for free.
-Doug & Telisha Williams
Art in the White House
It’s hard to imagine a more hopeful time than when you were a kid; especially the age at which you started to develop some talents, a personality, and a sense that all was possible. When I was young I wanted to be lots of things. I wanted to be a lawyer, a singer, a teacher, and maybe a doctor, although I wasn’t a big fan of cuts and scrapes.
This week 16 young music students from the 5th Congressional District of Virginia received a special treat from their Congressman, Tom Perriello. Representative Periello arranged for these students to attend The White House Music Series. This event was the second in a series of musical events that Michelle Obama has coordinated, celebrating American Music in an effort to bring the arts into the White House. This event featured Country Music stars Allison Krauss and Brad Paisley.
In order to allow more children the opportunity to attend, we were chosen to chaperone the group. It was a great honor, and we got a kick out of the seeing these kids enjoy such a special opportunity. We arrived at The White House and were taken in through the South East Entrance, as we waited in a hallway surrounded by portraits of former Presidents, Tom Periello came in to greet the kids. They were all so excited and seemed to grasp what a special opportunity they had been given by Representative Periello.
The White House staff escorted us to The Blue Room and described the reason for the oval shaped rooms of The White House. We took some pictures with Representative Periello, and had the chance to check out some of the amazing views from The White House windows! Since Secret Service had recommended that cameras and cell phones be left with family, so Tom Periello allowed us to hold on to his digital camera for the rest of the event. What a guy!
After visiting the Blue Room, we were escorted to the East Dining Room where 150 music students anxiously awaited the start of the workshop. Allison Krauss and Brad Paisley were introduced and talked about the beginnings of their musical careers. Both of these very talented individuals began playing music at a young age and were clearly supported by their families in pursuit of their dreams. After the two performers talked a little about their musical backgrounds, the music students were invited to ask questions. This was an inspiring day for many children, and as musicians, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the First Lady’s commitment to feature the arts in The White House, and offer hope and inspiration to music students across America.
- Doug & Telisha Williams
A little while back, we had a chance to meet Beth and Adam from the Putnam County Democrats in Tennessee. They saw us play at Hippie Jacks music festival, and a friend introduced us to them after the show. They were really excited about Obama’s win in the fall election, but what was even more interesting to me was that they were so excited and motivated about other things as well. This seems to be a common theme with people we meet who have worked on the campaign- they just don’t want to let the organization and network they helped build die. To me it’s great to see that they’re using these tools to be active in their communites in other ways. Let’s hope we can keep this momentum up!
-Doug & Telisha
Telisha and I were in Pensacola, FL, a few days ago for a show. At the end of the night we had a few minutes to talk to our friend Enid Sisskin about her thoughts on the health care debate. It was pretty loud after the show, and unfortunatly a lot of clanging and banging from tearing down the stage comes through in the interview. I hate that, but I still think it’s worth checking out. Enid’s pretty much right on the mark as far as I’m concerned.
Telisha and I had a few short minutes at home today. For our post this week, we decided to use a cheap microphone and record us singing and playing. We played this song at a swearing in ceremony for Congressman Perriello a few months back. It still makes me proud and gives me goose bumps to think about it. I think we’ll work it into our shows this weekend out on the road, too. While I think it’s patriotic to work hard trying to fix things in our country that might not be perfect, this Fourth of July let’s remember just how beautiful America is.
-Doug and Telisha Williams
Traveling around, it’s fun for us to meet up with different people across the country and hear their take on how things are going. We hear a lot of common themes, obviously, but often with just a bit of a diffreent perspective. Here’s a short interview we did with some folks who came out to see us play in Athens, Georgia.
I was walking around in Charlottesville, VA today and I came across a great scene. These kids are hard at work in their community garden, and they’re having a ball. I stopped to talk to them for a few minutes, and the pride they all shared was just overflowing. They showed me all around and told me all about the vegetables they’d planted. They even told me to stop by any time and grab a few if I wanted. Unfortunately I don’t live in Charlottesville, so I won’t be able to take them up on the offer.
It really made me proud though. In the tough times we’re going through as a country, it was incredibly inspiring to see these kids getting back to basics and really loving it, and really being proud of what they’d done. It made me think that perhaps we need to look for the opportunities we’re granted during these tough times. Opportunities to share time together. Opportunities to rebuild our communities. Opportunities to enjoy the simple things, like fresh carrots and dirt under your fingernails.
I hope this is the kind of future we build. When thigs get better, and they will, I hope I can still find kids working in gardens in cities like Charlottesville.
-Doug and Telisha
It’s Time to Deliver
I’m directing this post more towards moderate Republicans. The ones who think for themselves. The ones who make their own decisions without relying on the weekly “talking points.” The ones who love their country more than their party. The ones who truly value a strong, thriving economy led by the American entrepreneurial spirit! Clearly these Republicans of old do not have a leader right now. Many of them feel abandoned by their party, and I can understand why. It’s my hope that in the power vacuum/struggle that’s going on now, a new hope for Republicanism will emerge- someone who can really return the GOP to the Grand Old Party roots. (Of course, let’s be honest, I do still want to trounce them in elections, but it’d be nice to have a good loyal opposition!)
Here’s my argument to these great Americans: As you wait for a new leader to emerge, don’t let some good things for America get caught in the crossfire. Get involved and think about these issues. Take a look at public health care and really think about it. There are all kinds of reasons us lefties want a strong public health insurance option- basically we just feel like it’s the right thing to do. But I’m not preaching to the choir today. Today I’m going to tell you why Republicans should support the idea.
Think back on conversations you’ve had with friends, family, and co-workers over the past couple of years. How many times have you known someone with a great idea and a drive and passion to start their own company, but didn’t do it because of the fear of loosing the health insurance they have with their current employer? Lots. Maybe somebody wants to open a new restaurant in your town, but they just can’t take that risk. Maybe they’ve got an idea to build the perfect jigamawhat, all they need is a little time to get it started and get it off the ground. Why can’t it happen? Health care. It’s too dangerous. What if they get sick or hurt?
Many new businesses fail. That’s a fact. But a lot make it! That’s what America is all about- the ability to bootstrap your way up, making it on your own! Let’s remove this hurdle. Let’s make it easier to get started. Plus, this will make it easier to keep going, too, hiring new employees and keeping them healthy and happy. (Health care costs are crippling our existing companies already, and it’s getting worse every day!)
So think about it like this. Bob has a great idea and starts his company. That leaves a hole for his OLD company to hire someone else! Things are tough, but Bob hires Bill and Mary, ‘cause you just can’t do it alone. As things level out and get better, due to everyone’s hard work, Bob gets to hire a few more folks. Now Mary has a great idea, so she thanks Bob for all the experience and heads off to start HER own company. So now Bob replaces Mary (which is tough- she was a hard worker!) and Mary has to hire some folks. So then…. Ok. You get it.
Let’s unleash the American Entrepreneurial Spirit. Let’s get this economy moving. It’s time to DELIVER!
Doug & Telisha Williams
Telisha and I grabbed our friend Darrell Scott last weekend for a quick Q&A about life since 1/20/09. We were playing at the same festival, and itoccorred to us during his set that he’d be a great person to talk to. If you don’t know who Darrell is, check him out. He’s a killer player, amazing songwriter , and great singer. You can hear his songs on tons of hit records from artists like the Dixie Chicks, his playing on everything from Steve Earle to Randy Travis records (Including our last record, where he played on almost every song!), and his own records are just amazing pieces of art. Even though Darrell has had all of that success in the “country” music genre, I don’t think anyone would put him in that group. Particularly not considering what’s coming out of Nashville these days. Darrell’s records are amazingly introspective and transcendental. Plus he’s a pretty good chef, a nice guy, and member of the Music Row Democrats!
Doug & Telisha Williams
