Smiley Anders for Sept. 26, 2008

• By SMILEY ANDERS
• Advocate columnist
• Published: Sep 26, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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I’ve been keeping up with the financial meltdown in a desultory manner (as the philosopher Bob Dylan says, when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose).

I wasn’t too worried about it, trusting the leaders of this great nation to take care of the economy like they’ve taken care of everything else over the past few years.

But then I got a note from Judge Bob Downing, and suddenly realized that things may indeed be getting worse.

He sent me a recipe for poke salad.

Note to nit-pickers
Yes, I know, it’s “poke sallet” to the organizers of the Poke Sallet Festival in Harlan County, Ky.

And Tony Joe White, the pride of Oak Grove, sings about the trials and tribulations of “Polk Salad Annie.”    

But every May for 34 years the good folks of Blanchard in Caddo Parish have put on a Poke Salad Festival.

And that’s good enough for me. …

Best of the worst
Be advised that the Worst Song Contest ends at midnight Tuesday.

So far, The Captain and Tennille’s “Muskrat Love” is leading in nominations, followed closely by America’s “Horse With No Name.”

Here are other tunes that are running strong:

“Brand New Key” by Melanie. (Submitted by Ralph Drouin, Glenn Balentine and others.)

“Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John. (Submitted by D.C. Jensen.)