I am a country music fan, for the most part outlaw & traditional country. However I do have to admit that I have seen Toby Keith in concert (twice) and Kenny Chesney as well (also twice.) So while I love Hank III and am still pissed off at Blake Shelton for his idiotic ‘old farts and jackasses’ comment — I am not the biggest anti-pop country guy out there.

Alan Jackson, who throughout his career has walked that line between honky tonk and mainstream country, without ever going full on “pop,” had this to say recently in an interview with the Baltimore Sun.

“It’s always been that constant pop-country battle. I don’t think it’s ever going to change,” Jackson said. “What makes me sad today is that I think the real country, real roots-y traditional stuff, may be gone. I don’t know if it’ll ever be back on mainstream radio. You can’t get it played anymore.”

I have to take exception to that statement, at least to a part of it. I don’t believe that real country music is gone at all, its alive and well and living on in artists like Hank III, Wayne Hancock, Dale Watson, Justin Townes Earl, Whitey Morgan and others. It’s the second part of what Jackson said is where sadly he’s right, you can’t hear traditional country music on the radio anymore — but who still listens to regular over-the-air radio?

Here’s just a snippet of some of the great country music you can find out there:

John McAfee, my new favorite eccentric millionaire, recently gave a talk at the C2SV Technology Conference + Music Festival, where he announced plans to create a device to thwart the NSA sticking their noses in our collective business.

Dubbed “Decentral,” the as-yet-unbuilt device will cost less than $100, McAfee promised the enthusiastic crowd of about 300 engineers, musicians and artists at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

“There will be no way (for the government) to tell who you are or where you are,” he said in an onstage interview with moderator Dan Holden at the inaugural C2SV Technology Conference + Music Festival.

And if the U.S. government bans its sale, “I’ll sell it in England, Japan, the Third World. This is coming and cannot be stopped.”

McAfee is hoping to have the first prototype of Decentral ready in six months. He said he chose the name for the device because by using smartphones, tablets and other devices, it will create decentralized, moving local networks that can’t be penetrated by shadowy figures in dark suits & sunglasses. The device will be compatible with both Android and iPhones.

I’m just wondering when he’s going to go ahead and build an Iron Man Suit?