Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Because sometimes there is something other than politics....

And carpet-baggers, and thieves selling ponzi schemes, and corporations crying for less regulation at the same time they ask mom and pop to bail them out so they can keep the BMW.

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His father was a major general in the United States Air Force. And like any good major general, his father wanted him to pursue a career in the military.

In 1958 he graduated with a BA in literature, but not from a military academy.

He earned a Rhodes scholarship and read English literature at Merton College. After Oxford, in 1960, he finally fulfilled his father's wishes and joined the US Army. He completed flight training as a helicopter pilot and then he successfully completed training as a US Army Ranger.

He was posted to West Germany as a member of the 8th Infantry Division. As his tour was ending he was offered a position as professor at West Point Military Academy.

He resigned his commission instead and moved to Nashville Tennessee where he pursued his passion for songwriting. Through some series of misfortune, he ended up sweeping floors at a recording studio.

In his off time he worked as a commercial helicopter pilot flying for oil rigs off the Louisiana coast. He wrote two of his best-known songs sitting on an offshore oil rig.

In all honesty, I don't think he's much of a singer. Most of his albums have heavy instrumentals to cover an often flat and out of tune voice.

But some of his songs only he should sing... flat or not.



Kris Kristofferson.

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