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We at Scoop caught singer-songwriter Steve Earle last week at the Carolina Theatre.

And yes, he did get political.

You have to understand Earle and where he comes from. He's a firebrand activist who sees himself as a socialist. So he never gives any political endorsement because he believes he would be radioactive to any candidate he would support.

And to hear Earle explain it — and Scoop did at the Carolina — he gets a bit biblical.

"Since the last election, I realized the best thing I can do for a candidate is to stay as far from them as I (expletive) possibly can, and I swear — as God as my witness — I saw a miracle in Nashville,'' Earle said between songs.

"I saw Al and Tipper Gore levitate simultaneously trying NOT to get a picture with me. And I get it. I totally get it.''

My name is ...

After a lengthy presentation Thursday from animal advocates on rabies vaccinations, Guilford commissioners went about their usual talking-about-the-presentation thing.

Commissioner Bruce Davis began speaking on how he handles things for his animals by tagging on to what some ... other ... uh ... commissioner ... said ...

"Uh, uh, my colleague," Davis stammered, searching for the name of the one who sits to his left.

"Linda Shaw," said Commissioner Linda Shaw reminded him.

"Linda Shaw," Davis repeated.

"I know," Shaw said, "we all look the same."

Davis has been on the board since 2002, and Shaw since 1998.

Scoop heard that Davis later blamed it on "a senior moment."

He's 51 years old. He qualifies for AARP by just one year.

Scoop says you're only as old as you feel. And getting senior discounts must be pretty sweet.

I'm no betting man

Guilford County Commissioner Steve Arnold fills in a sample ballot before an election with his predicted winners.

"I like to see how close I come," Arnold said. Sometimes he's spot on, he said, but in other elections he'll miss on many races.

Sounds kind of like Scoop's NCAA brackets. Who could've predicted UNC blowing that Final Four game?

Better late than never

Two Guilford County commissioners were late to Thursday's regular 5:30 p.m. meeting. Heck, the meeting itself started 10 minutes late.

Commissioner Melvin "Skip" Alston rolled in about 5:45 p.m. Carolyn Coleman appeared at 6 p.m. Oddly, they were both also late to a 3 p.m. meeting about 200 yards across Greene Street from the Old County Courthouse.

That earlier meeting broke about 5 p.m., and the handful of other commissioners there made it in time to the 5:30 p.m. regular meeting.

Scoop asked Alston why he was late.

"I wanted to be late," he said, incredulously, adding that he's often very punctual.

We're not picking on the good commissioner, just want to know what he was up to. Checking in on the guy. That, and Coleman split pretty quickly after the meeting.

Turns out Alston had to run to work, sign some stuff and then got to talking to someone in the hall during the meeting's early moments.

Alston, typically a pretty sharp dresser, also had on a suit that he wasn't wearing earlier in the day. The other commissioners arrived in what they wore earlier.

For Billy Yow it was a short-sleeved button-down shirt. Arnold had a shirt and a jacket.

Commissioners, hey, they gotta look good.

Staff writers Jeri Rowe and Gerald Witt contributed.