Chris Rhodes

Real Estate Development DM for investment inquires on upcoming projects

[Anish Moonka @anishmoonka]

The doctor who delivered Dolly Parton in a one-room Tennessee cabin in 1946 was paid with a sack of cornmeal. Her father farmed other people's land and could not read or write. Eighty years later, the reading program she built in his name has mailed more than 300 million books.

She wrote "I Will Always Love You" on the same afternoon she wrote "Jolene," as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner, and released it in 1974. Elvis wanted it. The night before the session, Colonel Tom Parker called and said Presley would only record it if they got half the publishing, meaning half of everything the song ever earned. She had been in Nashville ten years by then. She said no, and cried all night. Whitney Houston cut her version in 1992, held number one for fourteen weeks, and Forbes later put Parton's royalties from it near $10 million. She put some of that money into an office complex in Nashville and called the place the house that Whitney built.

Dollywood opened in Pigeon Forge in 1986 because she wanted paychecks in the county she came from. Around 4,000 people work there now. Three million visitors come every year. The University of Tennessee put its economic impact at $1.8 billion, and it is the largest employer in Sevier County. Since 2022 the company has paid tuition, fees, and books in full for every worker from their first day, seasonal hires included.

Wildfires tore through those mountains in November 2016, killing fourteen people and destroying more than 2,400 buildings. Her foundation was handing out money within 48 hours. Every family that lost a home got $1,000 a month for six months, regardless of income. The final check was $5,000. Total delivered: $8.9 million.

In April 2020 she sent $1 million to Vanderbilt for coronavirus research. When Moderna's vaccine results ran in the New England Journal of Medicine that November, her fund appeared in the footnotes.

Carl Dean, her husband of nearly sixty years, died in March 2025. The note she wrote to fans afterward ended with the same five words she wrote for Porter Wagoner back in 1974. She died in Nashville today. Her family asked that instead of flowers, people give to the Imagination Library, which still mails 3.4 million books a month to children who will never get to meet her.

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@ClayTravis I mean, the HS team would have to be elite at rebounding missed layups.

[John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre]

Things I’ve Learned
What I wish I knew at 18…

1. College is mostly a scam

I’m glad I went to college, because I wanted to work on Wall Street. But today, I wouldn’t waste $300,000 on it, and I wouldn’t want to work in banking. Instead, I’d load up on college credits during high school, go to a school like the University of Texas to have fun, graduate in 3 years debt-free, and travel around the world for a year.

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@astronomerio Brilliant

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@RGIII You’re so dumb

[John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre]

We're sending a rocket into space to rescue stranded astronauts.

This is the kind of storyline that used to captivate and unite all Americans.

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@StaarVellocet They’re working

[Bill Ackman @BillAckman]

Great Christmas spirit. Uplifting. Thank you @stoolpresidente

[John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre]

https://t.co/EnO5lNMNf0

[John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre]

The patriarchy is back....

Teach your son how to:
- Revere and protect women
- Tie a tie
- Ignore the boos
- Read for pleasure
- Tell a story and give a speech
- Smile at the world
- Shake hands with a firm grip and eye contact
- Find peace in solitude
- Catch and clean a fish
- Live outside of social media
- Chop wood and make a fire
- Never wallow
- Change a tire
- Wake up early naturally
- Nurture a small circle of very close friends
- Cook
- Master hobbies and sports that last a lifetime
- Take risk
- Never publicly take sides against the family
- Operate a firearm competently and safely
- Get his hands dirty
- Stand up to bully
- Develop habits of health and fitness
- Throw a baseball/football
- Defend himself and the people he loves
- Manage his finances
- Listen without giving unsolicited advice
- Treat everyone equally
- Get back up when he falls down

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@elonmusk Is this on PPV somewhere?

[John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre]

A solid case for Trump that appeals to educated moderates:

[Joe Pompliano @JoePompliano]

Jimmy Sexton put on a masterclass this week.

1. His client (Nick Saban) retires

2. He uses the Alabama job as leverage to get raises for his other clients (Dan Lanning, Mike Norvell & Steve Sarkisian)

3. He then places another client (Kalen DeBoer) at Alabama.

Textbook stuff.

[Jared Vidales @JaredVidales]

Final Plat finally approved for our 69 unit Single Family attached subdivision. 3-Years to assemble six parcels (3 owners), rezone, and entitle.

Removed 3 zoning categories, a height overlay, 1 special use permit, 2 technical appeals, and an abandonment.

[Teddy Mitrosilis @TMitrosilis]

Nick Saban was asked a question after practice once.

His response was 70 seconds of gold on what it takes to be successful in life.

Here’s Saban on the Illusion of Choice:

“These guys, they all think they have this illusion of choice. Like I can do whatever I want to do.

“You have a younger generation now that doesn’t always get told no. They don’t get told this is exactly how you need to do it. So they have this illusion that they have all these choices.

“But the fact of the matter is, if you want to be good you don’t really have a lot of choices. It takes what it takes. You have to do what you have to do to be successful.

“You have to make the choices and decisions to have the discipline and the focus to the process of what you need to do to accomplish your goals.

“All these guys that think they have a lot of choices are sadly mistaken. As we all have done with our own children, they learn these lessons of life as they get older.

“Sometimes the best way to learn is from the mistakes you make, even though we all hate to see them have to make them, and we don’t condone it when they do.”

–

I’ve studied Saban for 12+ years, and the Illusion of Choice is one of the most powerful concepts I’ve come across.

Some key takeaways:

1. Excellence has a price. We can complain about that, but it’s a fact of life.

2. Most people don’t want to pay that price. They just haven’t admitted it to themselves.

3. Saying you want to be excellent is easy. Becoming excellent is hard.

4. There may not be one way to become great, but there are very few. And they all have discipline and consistency in common.

5. Every action we take is a choice. We’re choosing to make progress, or we’re not.

6. The formula for becoming successful: Your Daily Choices x Time. It’s simple, but we make it complicated.

7. Sometimes we learn more by making the wrong choices. Reflect on them, pull out the lessons and move on.

8. You have to choose what you do every day. Don’t follow your feelings. Choose to do what will make you better.

9. There are no long-term hacks. It takes what it takes.

|||

Hope this is helpful. Follow me @TMitrosilis for more writing.

I also write a weekly newsletter on the process of improvement → https://t.co/Akm89Spodg

[Hannah Stephens @TheUASignGirl]

Dear Nick Saban,

This is a letter I knew I’d have to one day write, but I’ve been telling myself it would be years before I’d have to write it. But I was wrong. And here I am, trying to put together thoughts and words as if somehow I’ll be able to somewhat convey how grateful and thankful I am for you.

On a personal note, I must share one way that you’ve personally changed my life. October 26, 2013. A day that forever changed the trajectory of my life. I made a sign that said “Saban, we’ll stay for 60, if you’ll stay forever.” Little did I know that Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports would take a picture of my sign and that an Alabama broadcaster would bring up my sign in the post game press conference after our 45-10 win over the Volunteers. By the time I made it back to my dorm, the sign had gone viral. And my life would be forever changed. Terry sat beside me during College Gameday that following season, recognized me, and got you to sign the sign for me. It’s a keepsake I’ll always cherish. I changed my degree to sports broadcasting, and the rest is history. Had you of not come to the University of Alabama in 2007, I’d have never had the pleasure of meeting you and your family, getting to be a part of, and witness, the dynasty, and I would not be where I am today.

But that’s who you are, Saban. You’re more than a game changer. You’re a life changer. Sure, you’ve changed the Alabama football program for the better in SO many ways. Sure, you’ve led Alabama to 6 national titles since your arrival. Sure, you’ve helped young men make their NFL dreams come true. But it’s more than that. You’ve helped shaped and change lives. You’ve changed the lives of players who needed a father figure in their life. You’ve change the lives of coaches that needed a second chance. You’ve changed the lives of those that your Nick Kids Foundation has had the opportunity to help.

You’ve made a ministry out of your career. You saw ways to help your community in more ways than just winning games. You saw ways to change lives, one recruit, one coach, and one day at a time.

The University of Alabama is better because of you. You helped changed the entire athletic program. Other sports at Alabama are where they are because of your impact and success.

And let’s be honest, it’s because of you that college football went from the BCS to the playoffs, and why they’ve had to keep expanding, hahaha. You keep winning, no matter how hard they try and stop you.

I know I speak for all Crimson Tide fans when I say: thank you. Thank you for all you’ve done.

Thank you for forever changing the Alabama football program.
Thank you for forever changing Tuscaloosa.
Thank you for forever changing college football.
And thank you for forever changing the lives of every player, coach, and fan you’ve ever encountered.

I’m so dang thankful and grateful you came to Tuscaloosa in 2007, and that you never left us for another program. Your loyalty will forever be appreciated.

You’ll be missed, coach. But you’ll never be forgotten, nor will you ever be able to be replaced.

You’re one of a kind.
You’re a legend.
You’re the GOAT.

And we’re better because of you and all you’ve done.

Roll Tide, coach, forever.

Sincerely, Hannah Stephens

#RollTide

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@davidpollack47 @TexasFootball Haha no one is discussing that. You’re down bad last few days.

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@elonmusk @neuralink Would Neuralink help late stage Parkinson’s disease?

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@moneymaverick Seems like he just got the wind knocked out. Championship fight? Take a knee and get up.

[Chris Rhodes @crhodes1]

@PhilMickelson @flushingitgolf @danny__woodhead Cue The Gilmore Girls reruns