Christmas

Mom

I was always for The Boys!

My William Andrews Jersey! Sis Les dressed as Liberace!

Grandmother Dot wondering just what it is I gave her!

Snowing

Young Rams

A-Team champs (zero losses), after a trouncing of our rival, Abbeville

Bottom: (l to r) Shane Right, Steve Thomas, Richard Wiggins, Andy Davis, Troy Oates, Anthony Gulledge, Carey Thomas, Top: (l to r) Lance Riley, Coach John Ross Helms, Scottie Ellison, Allen Espy, Carlton Simpson, Craig Purvis

B-Team Days

I didn't punt often in games because we had a halfback by the name of Richard Wiggins. Richard was our Bo Jackson!

My grip was slipping!

B-Team Rams (I'm on the bottom left and Dad is on the top right) This team was also undefeated. Ken Bayne, Tom Oates and Mark Espy, Sr. were coaches.

Mark Knows

Mark Espy (Dad) enjoyed playing basketball and football when he was growing up.  He earned a scholarship to Marion Institute, where he played football for two years. He told me that he scored a few touchdowns, including one against Tulane.

Hoop Days

The best I could do with this photo! With old classmate, Garrette Woodham, and basketball legend Charles Barkley. This day was A-Day on The Plains. We were standing next to the track, getting ready to see Herschel Walker run. Then, we were going to go the stadium to see the football Tigers. Dad took this photo on one of our many trips to Auburn.

One of three basketball camps I went to at Auburn University. Chuck Person, Barkley and NBA legend Jerry West were on hand to teach us campers.

In the Dothan Civic Center: I remember the ball bouncing funny on the surface...and I didn't have my usual confidence dribbling up the court.

Up, Up and Away!

With lots of Admirers

With his Boyhood Idol

With the Harvard Law Review

With Schoolmates in Hawaii

With Indonesian Classmates

Signed, Sealed, Delivered http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW5v5jPUP4Q

Tuesday

The factors below will get Senator Barack Obama elected November 4th. I personally am endorsing the Junior Senator from Illinois, so all you undecided blog readers of mine take this into consideration. =) This is actually the first election I have voted in since 1996. That year I voted for Bill Clinton. My first election, in 1992, I voted for George H. W. Bush.

Independents Economy Fund-raising Debates Iraq Race Palin Charisma W. Organization Early Voting Demographics Media Age Healthcare

Despite the outcome on Tuesday, this election process has once again exposed some real weaknesses in our country. Number one, every campaign cycle we Americans are hit hard with propaganda (i.e. well-crafted lies and disinformation) from both the Democratic and Republican parties. We deserve better than this. Number two, the two-party system doesn't actually promote democratic values because it limits the rise of other parties. Is this freedom? Finally, number three, we Americans are some of the least-informed people on earth. We lack a deep understanding of ourselves, the political process, other cultures and history. Part of this is due to an educational system and society that do not promote independent thinking. A healthy society and democracy is only as good as its people, and we have much more work to do. Taking these weaknesses into account, our standing in the world has increasingly eroded and our place among nations is in question. Despite what we like to proclaim during election rallies, we certainly can't look at ourselves and honestly say we are the best. We do, however, have potential to bounce back and we have the foundation (e.g. our sacred texts, our resources, our youth, our creativity) upon which to do so. Let's get to work!

This is how I would reform the election process

1. Get big money out of campaigns. It's a shame that any president needs in excess of half a billion dollars to get elected. Campaign dollars should come only from public financing and should be a limited amount.

2. Use bi-partisan and independent watchdog groups to check facts for any ads that could be aired on TV, radio or the Internet for either party. If the info doesn't jive, well, the ad won't be run.

3. Reduce the campaign from the 2 years it took this one to a maximum of one year. In fact, even shorter than that would be better.

4. Make it an even playing field so third party candidates can compete with the two-party system. Money for campaigns should be equal. Also, third-party candidates should be permitted in debates.

5. Invest heavily in a very thorough Civics education so that all Americans will have exposure to government and politics, so that they understand how it works.

Favorite Scary Movies

Halloween

Scream

Friday the 13th

The Exorcist

The Ring

The Shining

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Hide and Seek

The Omen

I have always had a memory of sitting on my grandparents' bed (Main St., Headland, AL) and watching TV when this preview came on.  Not sure if it was a trailer for the movie at the theater or for it being show on TV maybe for the first time.

I recall seeing this preview on TV.  The part where Jack Torrance holds an ax and limps after the boy in the labyrinth was very frightening.

Friday the 13th might have been the one movie franchise that I watched the most.  When the first one was shown on TV, I remember watching most of it in our den.  My siblings were also watching it.  But since it was a school night, Mother made me go to bed before it was evening over.  So I was in my bedroom, with my door open.  The hallway was dark, except for the ambient light coming from the den TV.  I could hear the ending of the movie, and I was terrified.  There was very little sleeping that night.  Although I have watched few of the films at the theater, my favorite thing to do was to rent the VHS tapes.  That franchise was not just about horror.  They were clever in incorporating many scenes of young women going topless, changing clothes and enjoying skinny dipping.  And although they didn't show everything, Friday the 13th films had plenty of sex scenes.  What was not to like?!?!  Lol

I remember watching this when it came out on TV - the late '70s, I'd say.  My mother was lying down on one end of the sofa, and I was on the other.  We had all the lights off in the den and my mother had her gun nearby - underneath the sofa or end table.  Not sure where everybody else was.  But as we watched The Exorist, at some point, the TV just went to static and we just panicked.  It was funny, but also scary.  I remember saying, "What if somebody has walked up on the back porch steps?"  Mom reassured me that things were alright because she had the gun.  Luckily, there was no need to use it.  The TV eventually came back on.  I don't recall that we even finished watching it.

This movie was scary.  All it did was confirm all I was being taught church.  It was as real as could be!  And then Damien: Omen II came out in 1978.  The satanic crow and dog scenes were the scariest.  And don't get me started on the soundtracks of these movies.  Frightened me silly.

Bumper Cars

Allen,

Billy was going to work at the Knowles Farm one summer and headed toward the large blue Harvestores where I had been feeding cattle in the feedlot. I was coming out and we met in a blind spot where the corn was growing even higher than my pickup. Billy was more worried about his dad’s car as he had gone in a ditch the previous week on a truck. I was just thankful we only had minor bumps and bruises as we were traveling around 30 miles an hour each so hitting head-on was the equivalent of hitting a wall at 60 miles per hour. The year was probably 1970.

Hope this answers your question.

Love,

Dad

Watty writes about the incident.  Actually was 1967.

 an article about the Knowles Farm - 1970.  Dad is top-right.

Leslie & Mark on the farm

Here's a video I made in March 2012.  Shows footage of Espy Farms silos at Knowles Farm.

Senator Obama Campaigns in Asheville

Perhaps you can spot Kade and me. This is actually when I was filming a video!
 

For more photos of the day, see The Citizen Times here.  About 28,000 attended the rally.

Here are my photos!

And a friend took this photo.  That's my red cap.

 

As Obama was exiting the gymnasium for his walk down to the field, my brother Mark shook his hand.

3 DC Snapshots

Mr. October

This gem comes from my old collectibles from childhood. When October rolls around, only one name comes to mind:

# 44 Reggie Jackson

In comparison to today's top Yankee star, A-Rod, Reggie accumulated 5 championships in his first 14 years in the league. A-Rod has yet to win a single one in 14 years! I threw out their first years, since they were so new in the league that they didn't play much. The legend of the Jax lives on! For Reggie's stats and bio..http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jacksre01.shtml

Below are two cards my cousin gave me.

 

 

I remember my dad telling me about this legendary homerun, and how it was the longest one he'd ever seen hit.  Perhaps I had already gotten my first baseball card set and maybe I was already a Reggie fan.  I can't really remember.  Or, it could be that Dad's mentioning of this mammoth homer sparked my interest in Mr. October.  He certainly became my favorite player.