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June 2005
Instapundit speaks
Knoxville's Glenn Reynolds came by the newspaper to give a presentation during lunch on citizen journalists.
What was most interesting to me, though, was Reynolds saying he believes the next blog-reporting explosion will be in the Third World. And he points to Michael Yon's blog reporting in Iraq as an example of what's to come. Reynolds said much of the time Yon is "outperforming the New York Times." He also described Yon's work as reminiscent of Ernie Pyle's World War II reporting.
Reynolds urged newspapers to embrace bloggers, in part because they are the "most intensely interested readers you have" in the news. But he advised "don't get carried away" with bloggers because they "are not your typical customer."
Reynolds said the biggest gripe bloggers have about journalists: Repeating an error that a simple check of Google would would have taken care of.
The biggest gripe about bloggers: Not making a simple phone call.
Report: Ford did TennCare consulting in TN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) � A report from the state attorney general says that while John Ford was a state senator, he did consulting work inside Tennessee for a TennCare contractor, contradicting the ex-lawmaker�s contention his work strictly involved out-of-state issues.
The report, released Thursday, was prepared by Attorney General Paul Summers for the Senate Ethics Committee concerning Ford, a Memphis Democrat indicted in May on bribery charges in a separate federal investigation.
Ford was a consultant for Doral Dental through Managed Care Services Group, which paid him $236,000 as a partner in the firm at the same time he was in Senate.
In early May, Ford contended angrily on the Senate floor that all his work for Doral was out-of-state. But the Summers report says, "The current president of Doral Dental states that it was his understanding that the agreement between Doral and MCSG was for consulting efforts in Tennessee and that he was unaware of any work to be performed by MCSG in any other state."
Ford�s activities sparked the state�s toughest ethics legislation ever, including language that will explicitly ban the MCOs from funneling money to government officials, a provision aimed squarely at Ford and his lucrative ties to Doral Dental and another company, Memphis-based UAHC Health Plan.
Ford was indicted with four other current or former lawmakers in late May during operation Tennessee Waltz. He resigned shortly after his arrest and is currently on house arrest.
More on Iran's president-elect
WASHINGTON - The White House said Thursday it is taking seriously the allegations of some former American hostages who say the believe that Iran's president-elect was one of their captors in the late 1970s.
"I think the news reports and statements from several former American hostages raise many questions about his past," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said of the Iranian president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "We take them very seriously and we are looking into them to better understand the facts."
Former hostages Chuck Scott, David Roeder, William J. Daugherty and Don A. Sharer told The Associated Press that after seeing Ahmadinejad on television, they have no doubt he was one of the hostage-takers. A fifth ex-hostage, Kevin Hermening, said he reached the same conclusion after looking at photos. A close aide to Ahmadinejad denied the president-elect took part in the seizure of the embassy or in holding Americans hostage.
Story here.
Compare photos and more at this previous post.
TN guardsman gets combat award
WASHINGTON - Army Sgt. Tim "Gus" Gustafson was riding shotgun in the Humvee when the bomb went off under the right front tire, a few feet from his right leg.
Gustafson and about 14 comrades were patrolling a pipeline near Iraq's border with Iran on Jan. 24 when his armored Humvee hit the bomb. It was an anti-tank mine linked to two artillery shells. In all, there were at least 150 pounds of explosives.
Story here.
Lance in Iraq has more.
For you political junkies
Suburbia is the most important place in American politics. That was true in the two presidential elections held so far in this decade, a pair of extraordinarily close contests that George W. Bush won, in the end, because he did a little better in the suburbs of a few battleground states.
But a Congressional Quarterly assessment of the demographics of all 435 congressional districts shows the pivotal role of the suburban voter extends much more deeply into the nation�s electoral fabric � and that, in fact, two different camps of suburban voters are forming, with their politics moving in opposite directions.
For the first time ever, most House districts have a suburban majority. The congressional reapportionment and districting that occurred in the first half of this decade, combined with the population shifts during the 1990s that were reflected in the census of five years ago, mean that there are now 220 districts (51 percent) in which most people are residents of a suburb.
Story here. (Via Political Wire)
More on new laws
As a followup to a post yesterday on new laws and where to find them, here's an article on new laws regarding driver and passenger safety
Watching bus routes
The Knox County school system is considering giving school bus drivers high-tech cell phones that would track the buses' exact locations and speeds.
If a bus driver was speeding, Knox County's supervisor of transportation, Rick Grubb, would know. If a bus was running late picking up children, Grubb would know that, too. He would just have to sign onto his computer and watch Global Positioning System, or GPS, technology at work.
More here. (registration required)
More on the local "pantygate" case
Get your paws off those panties.
That was Knox County Juvenile Judge Carey E. Garrett's message to Knox County Public Defender Mark Stephens Wednesday in the ongoing battle over whether juvenile detainees should be allowed to wear their own underwear.
Garrett ruled after a hearing in his court Wednesday that Stephens' office has no legal authority to represent two teenage girls in their complaint about the sharing of underwear at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center.
If the girls want to challenge detention center Superintendent Richard Bean's decision to scrap a policy that had allowed detainees to wear and keep as their own underwear provided by relatives, Garrett said the two teenagers could either file a civil rights lawsuit or a petition alleging they are the victims of neglect.
In either case, Stephens' office legally could not represent the girls, the judge ruled.
More here. (registration required)
Iran's new president?
London, Jun. 29 - Iran Focus has learnt that the photograph of Iran�s newly-elected president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, holding the arm of a blindfolded American hostage on the premises of the United States embassy in Tehran was taken by an Associated Press photographer in November 1979. More here.
Iran's President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks to reporters in Tehran on June 29, 2005. Reduce poverty, stop corruption and share out oil wealth more fairly - the voters who propelled Ahmadinejad to Iran's presidency are expecting a lot when the ultra-conservative takes office.(AFP/Atta Kenare)
UPDATE: Ahmadinejad is 48, so he would have been 22 in 1979.
UPDATE II: Associated Press story.
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Almost a quarter-century after they were taken captive in Iran, five former American hostages say they got an unexpected reminder of their 444-day ordeal in the bearded face of Iran�s new president-elect.
DeLay on money
"It's not a pay raise. It's an adjustment so that they're not losing their purchasing power."
-- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), quoted by the AP, on a vote to increase congressional salaries. (Via Political Wire)
When I first read the quote, I thought he was talking lobbyists.
RSS for KnoxNews now available
The Real Simple Syndication, or feed of the latest stories, is up and running. (registration required) You can taylor it to your interests.
Here's what RSS is.
There are never enough laws
Dozens of new TN statutes go into place on Friday, July 1. Here's a handy list of all of them.
Below are some samples. Here's where you can look up the bill.
SB0770 Motor Vehicles - Imposes $50.00 fine for riding an ATV upon land of another without landowner's permission; if damages to land occur, then court may order restitution be made to landowner. - Amends TCA Title 70, Chapter 9, Part 1.
SB2215 Election Laws - Imposes restrictions on use of business address for voter registration purposes; revises provisons governing use of unexpended balance of campaign contributions; revises provisions governing city and county school system employees who do not work directly under the supervision of an elected official serving as members of county election commissions, members of county primary boards, or election officials. -Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3, Chapter 1; Title 6 and Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 2.
SB0634 Traffic Safety - Clarifies that when a traffic light is flashing drivers should stop if it is flashing red and yield if it is flashing yellow. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-110.
HB0821 Traffic Safety - Requires that every driver of a motor vehicle exercise due care to avoid collisions with any object in the road or legally placed beside a road; violation is Class C misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-136.
HB0642 Arrests - Permits police officer to arrest without warrant driver of motor vehicle who leaves scene of accident who is apprehended within four hours of the accident when the officer has probable cause to believe the driver drove under the influence. - Amends TCA Section 40-7-103.
The Internet and Democracy
Hardly a new idea but in the wake of the President's speech, it is worth repeating. I can't help but wonder if the Internet will play a larger role in spreading Democracy than anything we do. This was brought home to me again upon recently discovering the new "communities" features at Truth Laid Bear.
You should follow a couple of them, Iraqi bloggers and Iranian bloggers.
Charlie Daniel on the Ten Commandments
Beware, Astroturf letters
An alert readers sends this along. Just plug in a zip code and watch what happens.
The president addressed the nation about Iraq but offered nothing new. No plan. No exit strategy. Nothing. Despite the car bombs and rising attacks the president claims we're making good progress. We need to bring things back down to reality. Bush�s speech tonight is a good hook and good timing to get letters to the editor printed in your local paper. Newspapers are almost certain to print letters to the editor about Iraq this week and politicians will use these letters as one measure of the public�s response to the speech.
TN bloggers on Bush
"When your numbers are down, invoke 9/11."
SK Bubba: "Blah blah blah. I don't remember any of this a justification for this war. Would Congress have authorized it if that were how it was sold? I'm interested in these Iraqi troops we have trained too. Other stories don't seem to match up with his rhetoric."
Glenn Reynolds has a large roundup.
Donald Sensing: "Overall, I don�t rate this speech very high - no better than a �B� and maybe B-minus."
Hamdems has a copy of the speech, and a statement from the Hamilton County Democratic Party chairman.
John Brown thinks the president did a good job.
UPDATE: Thomas Nephew weighs in.
Credit card breach
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) � The credit card company responsible for the security breach that exposed 40 million cardholders to possible fraud needs to immediately inform those consumers about the risk, said attorneys general from around the country.
In a terse letter sent to CardSystems Solutions, Inc., the law enforcement officials said the company needs to tell exactly what happened when a computer hacker may have gained access to millions of credit card numbers.
Officials have said it could be the largest security breach involving consumer data. Atlanta-based CardSystems Solutions Inc., processes credit card and other payments for banks and merchants. All brands of credit cards could be affected.
Developer eyeing Justice Souter's land?
Weare, New Hampshire (PRWEB) Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.
"This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."
Clements' plan is to raise investment capital from wealthy pro-liberty investors and draw up architectural plans. These plans would then be used to raise investment capital for the project. Clements hopes that regular customers of the hotel might include supporters of the Institute For Justice and participants in the Free State Project among others.
More here.
TN no longer a red state!
One percent more of Tennesseans disapprove of President Bush's job performance than approve.
DUI on a Zamboni
NEWARK, N.J. -- You can't drive with alcohol in your system, even if the vehicle is a four-ton ice-cleaning machine at a skating rink.
Story here.
Breaking news - Shelby Foote
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) � Family members say Civil War historian and novelist Shelby Foote has died.
"I think making mistakes and discovering them for yourself is of great value."
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Novelist and Civil War historian Shelby Foote, whose appearances on a PBS-TV documentary series helped America better understand one of the most defining periods of its past, has died, his family said Tuesday. Foote's widow, Gwyn, said her husband, who was 88, died Monday night. Story here.
Extensive biography here.
Lengthy interview here.
Bush's speech tonight
Conyers will speak after Bush.
UPDATE: "Optimism fades, but war goes on."
In conversations and interviews over the past month, U. S. soldiers under the command of the 42nd Infantry Division in Samarra and Tikrit came across as frustrated, sometimes disheartened, though still largely unbowed.
Some of them say that Iraqis will never accept the American presence. Others do not believe democracy can work here. The declining support in the United States for the war provokes anger. The mounting U.S. death and injury toll is depressing.
UPDATE II: "Survey finds most support staying in Iraq."
As President Bush prepares to address the nation about Iraq tonight, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that most Americans do not believe the administration's claims that impressive gains are being made against the insurgency, but a clear majority is willing to keep U.S. forces there for an extended time to stabilize the country.
Tongue-in-cheek Tuesday
Photo source.
In an exclusive, we have the reaction to President Bush's speech tonight.
TN Ten Commandments roundup
Reactions from Knox and Monroe counties, and more. (registration required)
More from Sullivan County: "What is the County Commission waiting on?" attorney Dan Street asked on the day the Supreme Court issued a mixed ruling on such displays. "It�s been a constitutional violation since it was put up there. There are plenty of religious people who don�t believe the commandments should be posted in the courthouse."
Rob Huddleston: "Ten Commandments fine for we, but not for thee."
More from Middle Tennessee: If the U.S. Supreme Court had said thou shalt or thou shalt not post the Ten Commandments, local officials in Middle Tennessee would know whether or not they can display them. But yesterday's rulings by the nation's highest court left open the question of whether it is ever OK to display the Commandments on government property, some legal experts said.
And even more from Middle Tennessee: County courthouses across Middle Tennessee must decide whether to follow the new law of the land involving displaying the Ten Commandments. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday struck down the displays in courthouses and other government buildings. But the highest court left some confusion over what is and isn't allowed.
UPDATE: The Supreme Court, a day after sending a mixed message about the constitutionality of religious displays on public property, let stand several lower court rulings outlawing these exhibits on school grounds and in courtrooms. Story here.
Injured TN soldier getting new home
And the effort will appear on a popular, prime-time show.
Since Friday, crews from the ABC hit show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" have been working around the clock to give Army Master Sgt. Luis Rodriguez and his family a new home. The crew from "Extreme Makeover" has sent the sergeant and his family on vacation. In the meantime, there are plenty of fans around cheering them on. Story here.
Too funny
"DC Mayor To Bulldoze Ruth Bader Ginsberg's House For Homeless Shelter."
"Few Americans Familiar with More than Four of Ten Commandments."
"Dems Cry Foul After Rove Doesn't Slam Troops."
(Items via Truth Laid Bear)
TN "ex-gay camp" makes national news
June 28, 2005 � Tennessee officials closed an investigation into a so-called ex-gay ministry because of a lack of evidence to support child abuse allegations. But the Memphis organization that says instilling Christian beliefs can keep gays from acting on their homosexual desires continues to be the center of controversy.
The Tennessee Department of Children's Services began an investigation into Love In Action, which advertises homosexual conversion therapy for adolescents, after a 16-year-old boy's blog started causing a stir in the blogosphere.
"Zach" wrote in his blog that he was admitted into the facility by his parents after he told them he was gay.
Story here.
Tennessee Guerilla Women has blogged extensively on this. Scroll down.
Charity benefit concerts
With Live 8 on the horizon, Les Jones finds an old interview with John Lennon on benefit concerts.
Lennon: "Every one of them was a mess or a rip-off. Bangladesh was caca."
From Les: "If first-world countries - the US included - dropped agricultural subsidies for their own farmers, third-world farmers would be able to compete in first-world markets thanks to their lower labor costs. If poor countries can't even make money with agriculture, it's hard to imagine how they'll ever bootstrap themselves into prosperity."
"Bloggers fighting government regulations"
WASHINGTON - Bloggers who built their Internet followings with anti-establishment prose are now lobbying the establishment to protect their livelihoods from federal regulations.
Some are even working with lawyers, public-relations consultants and a political action committee to do it.
Story here.
A summary from AP:
FIGHT THE POWER: Web log creators are concerned about a Federal Election Commission proposal that would extend some campaign finance rules to the Internet.
MEET THE MAN: Some bloggers � once considered political outsiders � are working with lawyers, public-relations consultants and a political action committee to fight legislation.
END OF AN ERA? The FEC has avoided Internet oversight, viewing the Web as a laboratory of grass-roots political participation and an outlet for free speech. But that may change now that the Internet has become a potent fundraising tool.
UPDATE: RedState is blogging the FEC hearings today. (Via Instapundit)
Soldier with ET ties laid to rest
Arlington, VA, June 27, 2005_ The flag draped coffin of Cpl. William Long is carried by the Army honor guard to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery while his mother Susan Cordner is escorted by Brig. Gen. John MacDonald.
Story here.
The Bayh blog
As in Evan, as in potential presidential candidate in '08.
UPDATE: SK Bubba is blogrolled on the site.
The Rocky Top Brigade expands
Even more new members have been added.
Breaking news - Ten Commandments
WASHINGTON (AP) � The Supreme Court has ruled Ten Commandments displays are not allowed in courthouses.
Story here.
I'm guessing Knox County won't be putting them up.
This potentially impacts Monroe County, southwest of Knoxville, too.
UPDATE: The KY opinion is here. The Texas opinion is here. (Both are PDF)
UPDATE II: We'll this is getting interesting.
WASHINGTON (AP) � The Supreme Court, struggling with a vexing social issue, held Monday it was constitutionally permissible to display the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas capitol but that it was a violation of separation of church and state to place them in Kentucky courthouses.
UPDATE III: Knox County Law Director Mike Moyers just told me he would say "flat out, no" if asked by commissioners if they could go ahead and post the Ten Commandments. The KY case is the one Knox County has been waiting on after passing a resolution in 2001 to post the Ten Commandments in several government buildings.
UPDATE IV: Monroe County, where the Ten Commandments are posted, is represented by Frank Manion with the American Center for Law and Justice. I just got off the phone with him and he said the KY decision "is obviously not good news" for the county. However, he said that decision is "confined" to the facts of the KY counties and he believes the Monroe County case should be argued. The ACLU has sued Monroe County to have the display removed.
UPDATE V: Today's KY decision bolsters two ACLU cases in TN, said Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU of TN. I just got off the phone with her and she said, "I believe today's decision only strengthens our case" in Rutherford and Monroe counties.
UPDATE VI: Justices' excerpts.
A Rocky Top stroll
Rich Hailey is back in force, he's made some changes and he's got a big rant.
More on TennCare protests.
Keeping count of those killed and injured.
Another major decision expected from the U.S. Supreme Court
In its final day today before a break, the court is expected to rule on two closely watched cases involving local governments displaying the Ten Commandments.
Could this mean that in the span of just four days the court has ruled local governments can put up the Ten Commandments, and take down your home?
Bloggers' babies
That's "Junior," left, SayUncle's daughter, Katie, daughter of Melissa and Les Jones, and my daughter, McKinley.
This must be a rare photo. They are all paying attention at the same time to one of the mothers.
This photo is from Saturday evening. We hosted at our place some local bloggers and their families, including Rob Huddleston, John Brown, Knoxpatch and Rich Hailey.
Four colleagues from work came, too, and I believe Uncle and Les are going to take Managing Editor Lara Edge shooting. Hope I get to photoblog that, or maybe not.
"America is now officially for sale"
Last Thursday morning, the rich got immeasurably richer - on your dime.
When the U.S. Supreme Court authorized the use of eminent domain to seize property for private development, sign-making crews at every real estate office in the nation should have leaped into action.
More here. And there's a reader poll. (registration required)
An apology to SK Bubba
We messed up, plain and simple.
Last weekend in the blogosphere SKB's outing was thoroughly played out and discussed. I had some thoughts on it seven days ago here, and that position has not changed.
Last Sunday and Monday questions arose as to whether we should do a print story on it. My position was that those who were interested already knew, and those who were not aware probably didn't care. I didn't think a story was warranted but I failed to properly articulate that.
As happens, reasonable people disagree and some of the editors wanted a story. In my original story, Brian Conley's e-mail to SKB that started all this was included. If memory serves me correctly, it was the third paragraph.
Tuesday night in the editing process, that was taken out over concern Conley might have incorrectly identified SKB's profession. I had sought clarification from SKB on his line of work but he declined to respond, which is his perfect right. He was not excited about his name appearing in print, and who can blame him.
In an e-mail to me Friday evening, Editor Jack McElroy said the editing process on that Conley e-mail was mishandled and that most of the text of that e-mail should have been included.
Also in the editing process, some comments from Conley that I had not used were added to the story. Jack said in that same e-mail that that did create an unbalanced story. I agree, and I very much appreciate Jack's candor.
A few words of context. I work with a bunch of great people representing diverse positions and opinions who day in and day out produce an excellent paper. Disagreement occurs on a daily basis, and that's part of healthy debate that also occurs on a daily basis. A vast majority of the time, that results in a fine product. In this case, it did not.
Also, my copy gets edited all the time and, trust me, 99.9 percent of the time that's for the better.
As for this seemingly late explanation, I took Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday off to pause and reflect. The whole situation hit me like a concussion grenade. SKB has helped me on several print stories about blogging for nearly three years. He was also the first person outside the newsroom to know last August that I was going to start a blog. He provided some valuable advice and kept that impending news confidential.
I hope this sheds some light. If people have further inquiries please address them to KNS editors.
My byline was on the story. The buck stops here. My apologies to SKB.
Property rights pummeled
The high court's ruling in an eminent domain case is one of the most talked about items in the blogosphere that I have seen in a while. And the response is almost universally scathing.
NEW LONDON, Conn. - Seven homeowners in this small waterfront community lost a groundbreaking U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday when justices ruled that City Hall may take their property through eminent domain to make way for a hotel and convention center. Story here.
From SayUncle:
Today, I am ashamed of my country, my government, and the legal system (we don�t have a justice system). This is some scary stuff, folks. Freedom died a bit more. I honestly went to the parking lot, sat in the car and wiped tears from my eyes. Anger turned to sadness.
He's got an extensive roundup, just keep scrolling.
Bill Hobbs has roundups, too, and is asking for reaction from Senate candidates. Again, just keep scrolling.
SK Bubba localizes the decision.
Instapundit finds this observation:
This ruling leaves open the possibility that the City of Detroit can take away the factories of General Motors (who knows how to lose money) and award them to Toyota (who knows how to make money). Given GM's woefull book value, the factories could be had for literally a steal, and the tax revenues would be immense. He's also doing updates.
Kind of like the death of a friend. I do not have much to say, but I thought the supreme court was going to fall on the right side on this one. I guess I had misplaced my faith in that group of people. More from Cube.
And this from Smijer:
This gives me the creeps: real, real bad. This basically tells me that the City of Chattanooga can force me to sell my house to Wal*Mart for "fair market value." Excuse me, but no. Wal*Mart is not "public use". It's private. Who can come and go, and what they can do there is decided in Bentonville, AR.
And even more from Egalia.
And yet another TN blogger, Rob Huddleston, has an extensive roundup.
Reactions across the Blogosphere have been swift and strong. David Bernstein uses the decision in Kelo to dismiss liberal critics that believe the Left is against big government.
And Rob adds:
Liberal journalist Brittany at Nashville Is Talking believes that liberals and conservatives are united in protest over Kelo.
Blake Wylie is all over the decision.
Do you think Congress might act on something actually, er, important?
UPDATE: From Middle TN blogger Donald Sensing: Let�s see whether I understand. The WaPo says that the result of the court�s decision is that injustice will be done, but that the decision itself was correct.
Don�t fret, folks. In several decades Congress will apologize for governments taking citizens� land.
Light blogging this morning
Breaking news - Knoxville soldier dead
Master Sgt. Michael L. McNulty, left, and Master Sgt. Robert M. Horrigan. (Photos from Department of Defense)
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) � Two Special Forces soldiers assigned to Fort Bragg have died during combat operations in Iraq, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Master Sgt. Robert M. Horrigan, 40, of Austin, Texas, and Master Sgt. Michael L. McNulty, 36, of Knoxville, Tenn., died Friday in Al Qaim, Iraq.
They were both assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command headquarters at Fort Bragg.
UPDATE: Here's the press release from Fort Bragg.
According to the press release, McNulty is survived by his wife and four children, and Horrigan is survived by his wife and one daughter.
UPDATE II: Here's a statement from the Horrigan family. Here's a statement from the McNulty family. (Both are PDF)
UPDATE III: Total U.S. military deaths since the beginning of the war in Iraq.
UPDATE IV: Another soldier with Knoxville ties is killed in Iraq.
UPDATE V: KNS story here.
TN town helping Iraqi town
Operation Hands and Feet is a community project which was started to support the soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 278th Regimental Combat Team. The project included adopting the City of Jalula and assists the soldiers of the 278th in completing the post-election phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom III in their Areas of Operation. This operation is a way for Tennesseans to show their support for the 278th soldiers and the people of Jalula.
More here.
Meanwhile, Lance Frizzell, a TN soldier with the 278th who is blogging from Iraq, offers a handy Web site for families of the 278th.
By the way, the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment is based in Knoxville.
Girl guarded by lions
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday.
Story here.
Depends on what the meaning of "mission" is
It's tongue-in-cheek Tuesday.
Here's an interesting list of statements by President Bush on the "mission" in Iraq. (Via Political Wire)
"Passing Gas" ad axed
Listen to the ad here.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) � Marketing officials for Shoney�s thought they had a funny radio commercial when they built it around middle America towns with odd-sounding names.
Some radio station officials in New Orleans thought otherwise and refused to run the spot for the Nashville-based family restaurant chain.
The ad promoting Shoney�s breakfast buffet features a driver ticking off places with odd names � such as Two Egg, Fla., Weiner, Ark., and Sweet Lips, Tenn. � noting there are Shoney�s restaurants along the way.
"Pretty soon down the road when you�re passing Gas, you�ll be glad you stopped," the announcer says before a brief pause. "What? Gas, Kansas, you sicko. I can�t believe you went there."
Park your car, they add a meter, you get a ticket
CHICAGO - It sounds like the meter maid's version of a speed trap: A ticket for parking at a meter that was installed after you park your car.
But that's what happened in Chicago last week, where a handful of motorists returned to their vehicles and found parking meters � and tickets � that weren't there when they parked.
Story here.
In search of family history
Here's an excellent post by Les Jones and a genealogy trail.
Teaser: Knoxville and a gangster.
Another teaser: His brother Walt Simpson told them that the gang had hidden some of their loot on the banks of the Tennessee River. When the gang tried to retrieve it they couldn't locate the hiding place. If the story's true, there could still be a Bunch Gang treasure somewhere along the river.
Head of prisons has license suspended
Tennessee Commissioner of Correction Quentin White has been driving on a revoked license after receiving a speeding ticket from Louisiana authorities in October of last year, he said Monday.
White, 45, said he would promptly pay the ticket after learning from the Tennessee Department of Safety Monday that his license had been suspended. His automobile is still parked in the Rachel Jackson Building parking area where he works until the matter can be resolved, he said.
Story here.
AARP joins TennCare debate
And former Tennessee resident and blogger Doug Petch has this warning.
UPDATE: Nashville story here.
Meanwhile, a sit-in at the governor's office continues.
Term limits for commissioners?
Local community activist and columnist Lynn Redmon speculates a Shelby County judge's opinion on term limits in that county applies to Knox County commissioners.
I just talked to Knox County Law Director Mike Moyers and he disagrees, noting a judge in another county has no jurisdiction in Knox County. Moyers said until a court of appeals or the state Supreme Court potentially rule, the decision "carries no weight here." He anticipates an appeal of the Shelby County decision. Stay tuned. This could get interesting.
UPDATE: Here's the Shelby County chancellor's opinion. Click on "Walter Bailey vs. county of Shelby."
No longer exempt from ethics
One of my blog correspondents, Ben Cunningham, sends this along:
HARTFORD, Conn. -- The University of Connecticut's coaches should be treated no differently than other state employees when it comes to enforcing the state's ethics rules on gifts and outside work, the state Ethics Commission ruled Monday.
The decision ends a policy that allowed "celebrity" state employees to bypass rules governing the conduct of Connecticut state employees.
Story here.
Causing a stir
Story here.
A Rocky Top stroll with that morning coffee
SayUncle on why he blogs anonymously. He's also announced the new "Gun Bloggers Community."
"Bredesen vetoes tobacco tax."
State Sen. Ron Ramsey for governor? And more here. Also, "Ramsey: Bredesen out for PR." (registration required)
Knoxville City Councilman Chris Woodhull on downtown Knoxville.
A sit-in at the governor's office
It apparently is happening most of today on behalf of TennCare enrollees. I have yet to find a news report on it but TN blogger Egalia has a lengthy post on it.
UPDATE: More here. (Via SK Bubba)
UPDATE II: The Associated Press has moved a story.
A new local food blog
"Earth & Hearth is devoted to promoting local, seasonal produce and other local food and equipment purveyors."
Setting the record straight
I did a post on Friday that I am retracting. I meant to simply focus on the use of "pro-lynching senators" but I did not articulate that very well at all. Further, I appreciate the civil and rational comments from Egalia of Tennessee Guerilla Women. I'm leaving the post up so you can see her comments if you want to. While I had a busy weekend with family in from out of town and the SK Bubba thing breaking, her comments stuck with me. I simply was not fair and I apologize for any misrepresentation. There. I feel better and I think my fairness gyroscope is fixed now.
Blog on!
A Rocky Top stroll
"Durbin's value declines to three Dubyas"
"Byrd Laments KKK Connection?"
A straw poll on possible TN governor's race.
Sheriffs: Make cockfighting a felony
Four sheriffs in East Tennessee's 1st Congressional District are supporting a U.S. House bill to make it a federal felony for those in interstate activity supporting cockfighting.
The 1st District was the location of the June 11 raid by federal and state authorities that charged 144 people found at an alleged cockfighting and gambling event in Cocke County. The maximum state penalty now is a misdemeanor - less than a year in jail and/or a fine. Story here. (registration required)
U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins, who represents that district, disagrees.
Undercover FBI agents and informants visited two cockfighting pits in Cocke County dozens of times beginning in 2002 as part of an ongoing probe into illegal gambling, according to documents filed in federal court.
They allegedly uncovered a pair of massive gambling operations where millions of dollars changed hands and children - some as young as 6 years old - were seen placing bets on the outcome of death matches between roosters. Story here.
SKBubba revealed
The long-time and popular Blount County blogger outs himself, under seemingly bizarre circumstances. He provides further information here.
Go to comments on his posts, too. It is quite the blog-talk item this weekend.
Nashville blogger Blake Wylie has more here and here, including e-mails from Brian Conley of Knoxville's Metro Pulse.
SayUncle is not happy.
Same with Thoughts of an Average Woman.
John Brown comments.
And Les Jones weighs in.
Egalia has a nice roundup.
I've got my inlaws in from out of town and I've been enjoying their company, and they've been enjoying their granddaughter. I've not had time to follow all this so I'll reserve comment.
I will say this, though. I've always liked and respected SKB's blog. Not knowing him, last August I asked him to participate in Crosswire, debating my wife during the Republican National Convention. He did an excellent job. Last month, I asked him to guest blog at my blog while I was on vacation. Again, trust well placed. I will be asking him again.
I didn't know until today who he is. But I know him through the quality of his blog. I could have found out. I know people who know him. I never asked who he is. I saw no compelling reason to out him. The question was even posed from time to time at the KNS whether we should try and out him, and the answer always came back to, "why?"
Just speaking as one person, blog on, Bubba!
UPDATE: Bill Hobbs weighs in.
UPDATE II: Dave at Opinari comments.
UPDATE III: SKBUBBA UNMASKED: I've known who he was for years, and even had dinner with him. I think he's a good guy even though we disagree on some things, and I'm sorry to see his anonymity busted.
UPDATE IV: An apology. The statement is in comments below, too.
Forecasting the weather
We are localizing the following national story for Saturday's newspaper.
WASHINGTON - Never mind fancy computers, satellites and Doppler radar. Most people have limited faith that meteorologists can accurately forecast the weather. Four in 10 say they have made plans in the past month based on a weather forecast that turned out to be wrong, according to an AP-Ipsos poll. Still, most people closely follow the weather, mainly on television.
Story here.
Also, here's some useful links that are, for future use, over on the right side of this blog under "weather links."
Live radar of East Tennessee and surrounding areas.
National Weather Service's five-day forecast.
Thank you, Sgt. Hester
Tennessee native Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, vehicle commander, 617th Military Police Company, Richmond, Ky., stands at attention before receiving the Silver Star at an awards ceremony at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, June 16, 2005. The 23-year-old sergeant with the Kentucky National Guard on Thursday became the first female soldier to receive the Silver Star _ the nation's third-highest medal for valor _ since World War II. (AP Photo/Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp)
Story here.
Breaking news - Hybrid to be built in TN
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) � State government sources say Nissan will build its first hybrid vehicle in Tennessee.
Story here.
Excuse me?
Do the TN Dems really want to be taking ethics shots at the Repubs?
Of course, the Repubs did the same thing last month.
Can't we all just hold hands and sing the Tennessee Waltz.
Inaccurate posts
Really, these do nothing to advance the Democrats' causes: "Pro-lynching Senators" and "The pro-lynching Southern six."
Any wonder I made this observation last week?
Charlie Daniel today
Buying a judge
GOPers plan to spend more than $20 million on U.S. Supreme Court successor.
PETA employees charged with animal cruelty
AHOSKIE, N.C. � Two employees of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have been charged with animal cruelty after dumping dead dogs and cats in a shopping center garbage bin, police said.
Investigators staked out the bin after discovering that dead animals had been dumped there every Wednesday for the past four weeks, Ahoskie police said in a prepared statement Thursday.
PETA has scheduled a news conference for Friday in Norfolk, Va., where the group is based.
Story here.
Southern Baptists and gays
NASHVILLE - Most Southern Baptists send their children to public schools, but some leaders in the faith are urging members to yank children out of schools deemed too tolerant of homosexuality.
The issue is expected to be prominent at the annual Southern Baptist Convention next week in Nashville, where Houston lawyer Bruce Shortt and popular Christian speaker and writer Voddie Baucham Jr. are co-sponsoring a resolution that says churches should look into whether schools are teaching acceptance of homosexuality. More here. (registration required)
Southern Baptist Convention web site.
SBC annual meeting in Nashville.
Too funny
From the newly created humor community at Truth Laid Bear. Oh my I do believe I'm going to like that page. (In the upper left where it says "jump to community," click on humor)
U.S. Senate Apologizes to Dead People for Not Making Murder Illegal Enough
Praise for Durbin As IL Senator Firms Up Terrorist Vote
Rumsfeld Promises Durbin Better Treatment at Gitmo
TN blogs on the Patriot Act
Blake Wylie: Amazing news. Congress (at least the House) has decided to do some checking and balancing...
SKBubba: The House of Representatives told Bush to take a hike on renewing at least one provision of the Patriot Act.
SaysUncle: Good.
Gunner: Good news people. Certain powers in the patriot act have been removed. He notes some bad news, too.
A school paddling ban
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) � An overhaul of the Memphis city schools� discipline plan that bans paddling could cost the cash-strapped district $5.6 million.
The plan, which advocates more personal intervention and counseling to improve behavior, includes two years of discipline training, conferences and a massive expansion of the in-school suspension program.
School board president Wanda Halbert, who voted last November to keep paddling students, criticized the discipline plan created by Supt. Carol Johnson.
"How much money does it take to effectively, efficiently implement corporal punishment? Zero. Now I�m paying $5 million to replace it," she said.
A big chunk of the $5.6 million � $4.3 million � is for salaries for 170 in-school suspension teachers. Most Memphis schools don�t have an in-school suspension program.
"The cost is small when you consider the ramifications of what corporal punishment did to students," board member Deni Hirsh said, "and how positive (the new program) can be for children who will, some maybe for the first time, get positive reinforcement."
While $887,578 of the projected cost will come from an already approved 2004-05 budget, the remaining $4.7 million must come from a 2005-06 budget that board members are struggling to get the Shelby County Commission to fully fund.
Breaking news/AIDS drug experiments
WASHINGTON (AP) � The government has concluded at least some AIDS drug experiments involving foster children violated federal rules designed to ensure vulnerable youths were protected from the risks of medical research.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services� Office of Human Research Protections concluded that Columbia University Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, where several foster children were enrolled in drug studies in the 1990s, failed to obtain and evaluate whether it had proper consent, information and safeguards for the foster kids.
"When some or all of the subjects (e.g., children) are likely to be vulnerable to coercion or undue influence, additional safeguards have been included in the HHS regulations to protect the rights and welfare of these subjects," the federal agency wrote the research hospital.
The hospital�s "records demonstrate a failure ... to obtain sufficient information regarding such safeguards with respect to the enrollment of wards of the state or foster children," the agency concluded.
The Associated Press reported May 4 that federally funded researchers in New York, Illinois and several other states tested AIDS drugs on hundreds of foster children since the 1980s, often without providing the children with special advocates to protect their rights and interests.
Story here.
An ex-gay camp in TN
"Doing Time in the Ho Mo No Mo Halfway House."
Tennessee Guerilla Women has some details, including a Memphis newspaper article.
Here's an Internet item on a teen's "forced trip" to the camp. Here's what being described as the teen's blog.
Here's the "camp."
SayUncle has blogged on this, too.
I've copied and pasted the June 14 Memphis Commercial Appeal story:
More tongue-in-cheek Thursday
Photo source.
The Red Coalition of the Tennessee blogosphere.
Religious leader bashes blogs
THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has criticised the new web-based media for �paranoid fantasy, self-indulgent nonsense and dangerous bigotry�. He described the atmosphere on the world wide web as a free-for-all that was �close to that of unpoliced conversation�.
In a lecture to media professionals, politicians and church leaders at Lambeth Palace in London last night, Dr Williams wondered whether a balance could be struck between the professionalism of the classical media and the relative disorder of online communication.
Story here.
I guess he would not have liked the Pamphleteers, either.
Some nice days coming up
Here's the forecast.
So get out this evening at Sundown in the City. I bet someone photoblogs this.
Or take in the Knoxville Open.
Tongue-in-cheek Thursday
Photo source.
A new housing development in Franklin, TN. See previous post.
Well this is pretty uppity
FRANKLIN �Until homeowners' association covenants began to ban them, driveway basketball goals were a common sight, mounted above garage doors on many suburban homes.
Now the garage doors themselves are under fire, at least in the city of Franklin, where aldermen are working on an ordinance to limit front-loading garages on new homes.
"The front door of the house shall take precedence over automobile storage," according to the proposed ordinance, which passed the first of three readings this week. The public will have a chance to comment on the proposal July 12, when the second reading is set.
Story here.
At least they're not talking about regulating how often the garage door can be open, like Germantown here and here.
Pleas in Operation Tennessee Waltz
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) � State Sen. Ward Crutchfield and lobbyist Charles Love pleaded innocent Wednesday to bribery and extortion charges stemming from an FBI sting.
Crutchfield and four other current or former state lawmakers are accused of taking payoffs to support proposed legislation before the Tennessee General Assembly.
Crutchfield refused to discuss the charges as he left the federal courthouse in Memphis, but his lawyer, William Farmer, said he had filed a motion to dismiss the indictment, arguing that the charges should be handled in Nashville, the state capital, or Chattanooga, where Crutchfield lives, instead of Memphis.
On the lynching apology and Howard Dean
This is Knoxville resident and long-time Republican activist Kelvin Moxley. I've known him since 1994 when I met him covering politics. Some of you know him through this recent radio show. In a first in a series of guest postings by different individuals, I asked Kelvin to offer a few words on this week's lynching apology, and Howard Dean's recent comments.
So, the US Senate offers a belated apology for failing to pass federal anti-lynching legislation. Woopdedoo, uncork the champagne. Are there any other injustices in the dark misty past for which laws and customs have eliminated but empty apologies have not been offered? An apology has weight only when it comes from the offending party. Empty apologies will not bring those people back.
Local blogger threatened with legal action
Les Jones has the details on an e-mail he got. You can bet several of us will be watching and take a wild guess who many bloggers will be pulling for.
Charlie Daniel today
Raiding cockfights criticized
U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins offers some strong words. I've been around East Tennessee for more than 23 years and I suspect his sentiment is shared by a whole lot of people around here.
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Bill Jenkins on Tuesday criticized the FBI-led raid of an alleged cockfighting and gambling compound in his East Tennessee district when the country faces terrorism and other security threats.
"We have got a meth lab epidemic in East Tennessee ... all these serious crimes," Jenkins said in an interview. "With all the terrorism concerns and the homeland security concerns we've got, we don't need to be diverting FBI agents to the investigation and prosecuting of a thing like cockfighting."
Story here. (registration required)
UPDATE: A different perspective: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. After the weekend bust of a big cockfight in rural Cocke County, critics question why the bloodsport isn't a felony. Story here.
UPDATE II: Rob Huddleston: Some Lefty liberals will howl that the same argument should be made for the "Tennessee Waltz" raid. My response to those people is that government corruption (a federal felony) trumps cockfighting (a state misdemeanor). All laws need to be enforced, but let the state law enforcement deal with cockfighting busts and the feds deal with elaborate (by necessity) government stings.
"Minutemen" in Morristown
MORRISTOWN, Tenn. - Phillip Goff and his wife, Cindie, recently moved to Hamblen County from California to escape problems they saw associated with illegal immigration.
The couple described overcrowded schools with classes taught in English and Spanish, a troubled health-care system struggling to keep pace with the flow of uninsured, undocumented patients and increasingly scarce jobs.
"We decided we had enough," Phillip Goff said.
But when the couple relocated to East Tennessee five months ago, they say they found many of the same problems here.
Story here. (registration required)
UPDATE: Blount County blogger SayUncle has had several posts on the minutemen. They are here.
UPDATE II: Here's a May posting I had on the Morristown effort.
UPDATE III: Here's the Minuteman Project web site.
UPDATE IV: Here's a study on the Hispanic impact in Hamblen County, which has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the state. Morristown is the county seat.
UPDATE V: An East Tennessee blogger on the effort. And a Florida blogger comments.
The lynching apology
This story is getting more attention in the blogosphere than I would have guessed. But certainly a voice vote at night is contributing to that.
Knox County blogger CE Petro at Thoughts of an Average Woman contacted TN Sen. Lamar Alexander's office and reports on what she found out.
TN blogger Democratic Veteran posts on the "Senate lynch mob."
Noted black conservative blogger La Shawn Barber in a long post rips Congressional consideration of the issue:
In light of the serious problems we face in the world and our own country, I think this apology is one of the dumbest, emptiest, most politically correct pile of rubbish I�ve heard about in a long time.
We�ve got fanatics trying to kill us all in the name of their god and hiding among us. We�re being taxed to death taking care of deadbeats and criminals, while President Bush is sending even more of our money to brutal dictators in Africa. And the Senate apologizes for failing to pass anti-lynching laws 100 years ago?
UPDATE: Alexander speaks: "There is no resolution of apology that we can pass today (Monday) that will teach one more child to read, prevent one more case of AIDS or stop one more violent crime," Alexander's written statement said. "I prefer to look to correct current injustices rather than to look to the past." More here.
Deserter returns to U.S.
Charles Robert Jenkins (2nd L), former U.S. Army sergeant who deserted to North Korea 40 years ago and is now living in Japan with his Japanese wife Hitomi Soga (L) and daughters Mika (behind Jenkins) and Brinda (R), leaves the New Tokyo International Airport for Rich Square in North Carolina from Narita, east of Tokyo June 14, 2005. Jenkins, who will be returning home for the first time in around 40 years, said he would spend about a week in the U.S. (Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters)
Story here.
A Rocky Top stroll
Vacation blogging - Busch Gardens, Williamsburg.
An employee's right to self-defense.
The USA Today declared in a front page story yesterday that the debate is over. Yes, the earth is getting warmer. That's it. Slam dunk. Open and shut. Case closed. Game over.
Would someone hand me a crowbar so I can pry this thing back open? More here.
Thermometer exchange in Knoxville.
UPDATE: No more Confederate flags at Maryville school events.
Tongue-in-cheek Tuesday
Tennessee 0, Alabama 6 months.
TN blogs react to "The Verdict"
The trial brought out even more of the Wacko Jacko stuff, and I know waaaay too much about his choice in porn. But I did learn an important lesson - that no matter how screwed up a person seems to be, there's always someone more screwed up to make them look good in comparison. And that, to me, exemplifies the Michael Jackson trial. More here.
"Michael Jackson can go away now."
Meanwhile, here's a few other little things going on amidst all the Jackson noise:
"Court Denounces Race Bias in Picking Jury"
"Speeders' 5-10 mph 'free pass' costs lives, report says"
"CDC: One million-plus live with HIV"
An early tongue-in-cheek Tuesday
I'm surprised the Red Coalition of the TN blogosphere has not picked up on this:
"In a decision experts say violated federal campaign regulations," Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) "filed reports with the Federal Elections Commission that made it difficult for his contributors and political foes to determine just how bad off his campaign finances were," the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
More here.
TN rep seeks TennCare documents
Republican State Rep. Glen Casada is asking Gov. Phil Bredesen and his administration to turn over all documents, e-mails and other materials between his office, former state Sen. John Ford and two TennCare vendors.
We'll there goes our image again
"144 arrested at Tennessee cockfight" has made the top 25, as of this posting, at Blogsnow, which measures blog talk.
A Rocky Top stroll
This is pathetic, absolutely pathetic, involving Sen. Hillary Clinton. Ed Klein better have a good libel lawyer. And people wonder why so many don't vote.
A hospital uses hydrolic fluid instead of detergent to wash surgical instruments.
SKBubba is back after producing some of the best travel logs I've seen. A colleague of mine liked them, too, but said it was time for Bubba to return to regularly scheduled programming. It was missed.
"A conservative blog I can live with." Too funny.
Wireless in Kingsport? The city leaders should watch out for Big Brother.
A lesson learned while Scouting
One of the American boys starts shooting off his mouth. "I'm glad I live here in the United States. You know why? 'Cause we're the greatest country in the world. After all, we've got all the nukes! If someone picks on us, we fire off our missiles and everyone gets blown-up but us."
Four different adult leaders are descending at the same moment to quietly take the young loudmouth aside for a talk when the Mexican boy calmly turns around and asks: "Just when do you plan to grow up a little, anyway?"
More at Tennessee Rants.
Foxes guarding the henhouse?
Upper-level lobbyist representatives are expected to meet with Gov. Phil Bredesen�s administration this week on creating tighter regulations for lobbyists. Story here.
And in other news, Howard Dean, a white Christian, announces he's joining the Republican Party.
UPDATE: Bill Hobbs caught this, too.
Bredesen and TennCare
The TN blogosphere is abuzz this morning with news by a former backer of Bredesen now calling for him to step down. Nashville blogger and journalist Sharon Cobb has produced a 29-minute film documentary claiming he has "lied" about TennCare cuts.
The presentation of documents is awkward but Knoxville blogger Rob Huddleston has broken it down for all of us.
Bill Hobbs calls it a "scoop."
Blake Wylie notes some irony.
Knoxville blogger John Brown is on it, too.
And Blount County blogger SayUncle has this.
As of this posting, no reaction yet here or here.
UPDATE: Former Tennessean Doug Petch weighs in: "If this doesn't end any hopes Phil Bredesen may have had to be a Presidential contender - let alone earn re-election as Tennessee's Governor - I don't know what will."
Vanity plate too religious
State officials reject request for the above plate. Column here.
TN Dems where are you?
In case you haven't noticed, you're getting steamrolled in the TN blogosphere.
Blake Wylie, Bill Hobbs, Matthew White, Adam Groves, Rob Huddleston, Mark Rose and Blogging for Bryant, among others, make up a loose-knit coalition that is burning up the fiber optics.
Add to that group Ben Cunningham of Tennessee Tax Revolt, who has a very effective online presence.
They link to one another causing rapid dissemination of information and political spin. The first link in this post, a speculative piece by Wylie tenously linking your U.S. Senate candidate to alleged scandal, is the most recent example. The interesting post is getting a lot of talk, but not by you guys.
If you are banking on this coalition NOT having an impact on statewide politics, then you might want to invest in Jake Butcher.
Flippant Friday - These guys should be worried
U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale.
Those fun little fur balls
TOKYO - Two kittens picked the wrong place to relieve themselves when they urinated on a fax machine, sparking a fire that extensively damaged their Japanese owner�s house.
Story here.
Wal-Mart PR person resigns
A Wal-Mart Stores Inc. public relations official has resigned in the wake of an advertisement that showed a Nazi book-burning, the retail giant confirmed Thursday.
Peter Kanelos, who had overseen public relations in Arizona and southern California, submitted his resignation effective Friday, said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore.
More here.
The backlash begins
Remember "moral values." Well, now comes a poll showing Americans more in tune with Democrats than Republicans on values.
More tongue-in-cheek Thursday
Photo source.
Don�t worry about the money. Everything is fine. We�ve simply changed our methods. In the past, we used traditional fundraisers who attracted multi-million-dollar contributions from organizations such as the Teamsters. Now we�re relying on more modern sources, such as Oliver Willis�s PayPal button.
The challenge, of course, is to get the money away from Willis before he diverts it to Krispy Kreme.
Tongue-in-cheek Thursday
The NBA playoffs are on and there's some sort of verdict expected in some sort of case in some state out west, maybe California. Or maybe we just read one of my stories.
Newsroom survey on blogs
For the fun of it, I conducted an informal survey of newsroom folks on blogs. I asked what ones they read, if any, why, and if they had favorites.
Out of about 100 people in the editorial department, I got 23 responses, a little smaller response rate than I anticipated. As surveys go, though, that�s a pretty good percentage.
Not surprising to me, SK Bubba got the most mentions. His variety and local focus were common comments as to why people visit his blog. Coming in second was my blog, followed by Glenn Reynolds. As survey administrator, I�ve tossed my results having ruled there was some home-cooking going on.
The results reinforce some thoughts I�ve had for months. One, blogging may be reaching a saturation point in terms of numbers. Several people cited a lack of time to follow so many information outlets.
�It�s like I feel so overloaded with information now that I don�t want to open another door and let that deluge into my life,� said sports columnist and reporter Mike Strange.
An "odd fax" in the Tennessee Waltz case
NASHVILLE - A curious hand-written note has been sent to the Registry of Election Finance on behalf of Timothy Willis, a key figure in the "Tennessee Waltz" corruption investigation who faces charges of violating a state lobbyist law.
"Please excuse the oversight. Mr. Willis has been on location with a movie project," says the note, dated June 3 and faxed to the Registry on Tuesday, according to Registry Director Drew Rawlins.
Story here. (registration required)
RELATED: Ford "is apparently going to play victim in his defense.
Lawmaker, lawyer and lobbyist fined
NASHVILLE - State Rep. William Baird was assessed a $15,000 fine Wednesday for failing to file required reports on his 2004 campaign and business interests - apparently the largest penalty ever levied against a sitting legislator.
The assessment against the Campbell County lawmaker was one of several penalty orders by the Registry of Election Finance.
Story here. (registration required)
Cash home up for sale
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's lakeside home, visited by everyone from U.S. presidents to ordinary fans, is up for sale for $2.9 million.
The couple lived for 35 years at the 13,880-square-foot home and 4.6-acre property on the edge of Old Hickory Lake until their deaths in 2003.
More here.
Local blogs
Here's some I've visited recently that don't get the attention others get.
Dr. Tony, who has a posting on Dean's mouth.
Mike at Farragut Independent, who has a road rant I completely agree with.
Deliverance, which I'm guessing is either local or at least in TN judging from the license tag on the page.
Farragut Republican, who is passionate about traffic issues.
UPDATE: Clark Stooksbury.
Ford: The feds are "liars"
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) � Former state Sen. John Ford pleaded innocent to public corruption charges Wednesday and called federal investigator liars.
Ford said he and several other legislators who were caught in an undercover FBI sting were set up by the government.
Story here.
They're watching you
LOS ANGELES -- Every 10 feet or so in Santee Alley, there's someone standing behind a cardboard box full of discs. Each mumbles the same mantra: "DVD, DVD, DVD, DVD, Estar Guars" -- Spanglish for Star Wars.
They're DVD bootleggers, and they're the target of a new system of surveillance cameras recently installed by the Los Angeles Police Department with money from the Motion Picture Association of America.
Story here.
When the last square inch of earth is covered by a camera, would someone please turn off the lights!
UPDATE: Here's a post I did in January listing several area webcams.
Dean today defends harsh remarks
WASHINGTON - Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean on Wednesday defended his recent harsh criticism of Republicans, including his observation that they are �pretty much a white, Christian party.� Story here.
Blogging for Bryant has comments and links.
Thomas Nephew at Newsrack has a long posting.
A Little More To The Right fires back at Dean.
RELATED: Three top DNC fundraisers quit.
UPDATE: "Howard Dean is pretty much a one-man ScrappleFace full-employment guarantee."
Tennessee Waltz updates
Sen. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge seeks an Attorney General's opinion on pensions. (registration required)
Lobbyists face hearings on allegedly withholding information.
Voters at "boiling point."
A full-time General Assembly?
UPDATE: NASHVILLE - At least three years ago, state Rep. Frank Buck says he told FBI agents that state Sen. John Ford was "bragging" to colleagues about taking questionable consulting fees and urged them to investigate. Story here. (registration required)
UPDATE II: The state Senate Ethics Committee won�t seek to ouster the two senators currently under federal indictment, Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey said Tuesday. More here.
UPDATE III: MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) � Former state Sen. John Ford and another Memphis lawmaker, Sen. Kathryn Bowers, were expected to plead innocent Wednesday to charges they took bribes from FBI agents posing as businessmen seeking changes in Tennessee law.
Blogging requires a sophisticated sense of humor
That's me in front and Glenn Reynolds reverting to his junior high school days. I deny the charge we bloggers are a bunch of juvenile geeks! The photo is one of several from BlogNashville that Bill Hobbs has posted.
Knoxville 5th safest driving city
And the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series this year, they'll be peace in the Middle East and the federal deficit will be cut in half!
According to Allstate Insurance Co, Knoxville was ranked the fifth safest city to drive in. Chattanooga came in third and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was ranked the safest driving city in the nation.
Researchers with Allstate Insurance Co. analyzed two years worth of internal crash and claim data to calculate the chances that drivers in 196 of the nation's biggest cities would be involved in an accident compared to the national average. Story here. And go vote in the poll. (registration required)
Just a thought. If we are so safe why do we need red-light cameras?
Bloody chainsaw gets man into the U.S.
Agents confiscated that and other weapons, then let him across the Canadian border. Now, the man is a murder suspect in Canada.
Geez, and recently coming across the border from Mexico I got hassled for not having a picture of my daughter.
Operation Tennessee Waltz
Photo source.
More updates on the migrane moments for some legislators.
# The Miami trip was part of the FBI sting.
# Lt. Gov. John Wilder, above, said his comments on the Senate floor were meant to point out "entrapment is wrong."
# CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) � The two lobbyists wrapped up in the federal corruption sting targeting lawmakers face a state hearing over their activities.
But the Registry of Election Finance, which regulates lobbying and campaign finance issues, said it hasn�t been told if one of them was working as an FBI informant on behalf of E-Cycle Management Inc. and likely will wait 30 days before holding a hearing.
Beware amateur photographers
One of the benefits of digital photography � the fact that amateurs can take better-looking photos and doctor them using photo-editing software � is also becoming a bane. Photofinishing labs increasingly are refusing to print professional-looking photographs taken by amateurs.
Story here.
I'm guessing this is good news for these guys.
And I doubt this has any impact on photobloggers.
Blogging from 35,000 feet
Who will be the first person to blog on a flight?
This has really wonderful potential. One will be able to live photoblog that loud and obnoxious drunk!
A poignant photograph
Photo source.
The federal government has the power to prevent sick patients from smoking home-grown marijuana that a doctor recommended to relieve chronic pain, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 6, 2005 in a setback for the medical marijuana movement. The 6-3 ruling means the federal government can enforce a federal law prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of medical marijuana even in the 10 states where it is legal under state law. Medical marijuana supporter Anna Foster is pictured after learning that Marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal was convicted by a federal jury of all three counts of marijuana cultivation and conspiracy in San Francisco, in this January 31, 2003 file photo. (Justin Sullivan/Reuters)
Bush's budget and a pastrami sandwich
Here's another reason I'd be worried if I were a Republican:
If you are worried about the federal deficit (and you should be), ask yourself which would do more to improve the country's finances -- President Bush's latest budget or a pastrami sandwich.
More here.
Tongue-in-cheek Tuesday
Photo source.
"Dumbo" brings reality to D.C. Geez, there's just so much potential with this photo. Have at it!
A completely unrelated update: Scientists call for a reduction in hot air emissions.
The Grassy Knoll and Watergate
From Doug Petch:
I thought I was kidding when I posted an entry under the title A Second Deep Throat On The Grassy Knoll. Turns out that the Opinion Editor for the Harlingen, Texas Valley Morning Star has connected some dots between the JFK assassination and the Watergate break-in.
Medical marijuana
The blogosphere is abuzz with Monday's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.
SayUncle asks, "What do states� rights, federalism, global warming and pixie dust have in common? None of them exist."
Tennessee Guerilla Women has more.
CE Petro asks, "Why is it that easing individual human suffering is getting lost in the shuffle in this debate?"
I got a ton of comments on my post yesterday.
Lap dances, pensions and the Tennessee Waltz
Former UT president John Shumaker is eligible for more than $400,000 in severance pay.
Ward Crutchfield resigns as school board attorney.
A PR nightmare
Holy pooh pooh! Yet another case of missing personal data. I'm growing more and more tempted to chuck the laptop and all plastic and just go live on cash in Mexico. Watch for heads to roll in this one.
NEW YORK - CitiFinancial, the consumer finance division of Citigroup Inc., said Monday it has begun notifying some 3.9 million U.S. customers that computer tapes containing information about their accounts � including Social Security numbers and payment histories � have been lost.
Citigroup, which is based in New York, said the tapes were lost by the courier UPS Inc. in transit to a credit bureau.
The bank said the tapes contained information about both active and closed accounts at CitiFinancial�s branch network. It said they did not contain information from CitiFinancial Auto, CitiFinancial Mortgage or any other Citigroup business.
The statement said that CitiFinancial �had no reason to believe that this information has been used inappropriately, nor has it received any reports of unauthorized activity.�
Norman Black, a spokesman for Atlanta-based UPS, confirmed that the tapes were missing.
�Despite an exhaustive search for this package, we�ve been unable to find it,� Black said.
Story here.
91-year-old fends off purse snatcher
TOLEDO, Ohio - A purse snatcher picked on the wrong 91-year-old, police said. Katherine Woodworth started swinging her purse at the man and hit him until he ran away, police said. He had walked up to her in a department store parking lot and told her that he was going to take her purse.
"I didn't have my hearing aid in, and I thought he said that he was going to take my pulse," she said. "Then he said it again that he was going to take my purse and I said, 'No, you're not.'"
Story here.
A vacation by the numbers
This is quite unique, including the number of photos taken - over 1,300!
Breaking news - TN chief justice to step down
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) � Tennessee Chief Justice Frank Drowota has announced he is retiring from the Supreme Court.
Story here.
Here's his biography.
Here's the press release.
TennCare agreement urged
By no less than the federal judge who's hearing the case! That is potentially significant.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) � A hearing that would determine whether 97,000 of TennCare�s medically needy stay enrolled has been delayed until the end of the month, but a federal judge on Monday asked attorneys to try to reach an agreement before then.
At issue are modifications to a consent decree that would save the state money and allow thousands of enrollees to remain on the expanded Medicaid program.
Gov. Phil Bredesen has said cuts are necessary to save the state $500 million to $600 million in the coming year. The nearly 226,000 currently scheduled to be cut will start receiving notices this week.
The hearing that was originally scheduled for June 13 is for plaintiffs� attorneys to spell out their concerns to state lawyers so the necessary modifications can be made. One main concern is to make prescription drugs more cost efficient.
U.S. District Judge John Nixon tentatively set the hearing date for June 28. However, that date could change depending on when the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rules on the rest of the state�s plan to reform TennCare.
State attorneys said that ruling could come sometime this week. Meanwhile, Nixon is urging a compromise.
"If any agreements on modifications can be made, I would like the attorneys to discuss that," Nixon said.
Refugee status in another state?
In the wake of Operation Tennessee Waltz, that's a question Gunner is asking.
And he passes this joke along:
"POLITICS": (Latin "POLI"= many) + ("TICS"= blood sucking insects)
Poignant photos
Shomi Siler holds the U.S. flag from the casket of her brother, Staff Sgt. Alfred Barton Siler, as friends and family of the deceased release balloons into the air during a graveside memorial service Saturday, June 4, 2005, at Marlow Cemetery near Caryville, Tenn. Siler was killed while serving in Iraq on Wednesday, May 25, 2005. He was the third member of the 3,200-soldier, 278th Regimental Combat Team to die in Iraq since the Knoxville-based unit deployed for a yearlong tour just before Christmas. (AP Photo/Knoxville News-Sentinel, Jeff Adkins)
Story here. (registration required)
A women kneels next to commemorative plaques and mourns at a memorial ceremony to honour fallen soldiers of the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division and Task Force Danger who died in Iraq at the Leighton Barracks in Wuerzburg June 6, 2005. Some 193 soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division and Task Force Danger lost their lives during both wars in Iraq. REUTERS/Alex Grimm
France an international player?
The country is on schedule to finally get involved in 2012.
Lady Vols softball
They are an amazing story this year, and you can follow this afternoon's game, underway soon, here.
Anonymous library cards
It's apparently a growing trend, along with other anonymous services.
Unfortunately, if an over-zealous special agent on a fishing expedition wants to know who checked out Anti-Flag's album The Terror State yesterday, the librarian will probably have little choice. Under the USA PATRIOT Act, he or she would have to surrender the personal identity information that was originally collected to protect the library's materials.
In short, collecting personal identity information about customers is a dangerous activity for a library. We should be careful to engage in it only when absolutely necessary. Until now, proof of identity has always been an essential form of collateral to protect a library and its possessions. But soon libraries will be able to protect themselves from many legal snafus by opting to let patrons remain anonymous. How? You have to realize that personal information is not the only form of collateral�you can use cash instead. For instance, did you know that you can rent an audio-book at any Cracker Barrel restaurant without showing identification? Just pay the price of the audiobook with cash, listen to it, and then return it with a receipt. They'll give your deposit back in cash, minus the rental fee. We librarians can improve on this service model by eliminating the rental fee.
More here.
Hanging out
This photo is floating around in emails, so I don't have the source of it. Still, too cute not to post.
So much for states' rights
WASHINGTON - Federal authorities may prosecute sick people whose doctors prescribe marijuana to ease pain, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, concluding that state laws don't protect users from a federal ban on the drug. Story here.
It'll be interesting to see how Repubs react to this, especially in the wake of Terri Schiavo.
"Borrowing a page out of an old GOP playbook," Howard Dean outlined "his game plan for Democrats winning the White House in 2008" at a Seattle fundraiser, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. He would run a national campaign "in some ways like a '70s Republican platform."
Democrats must emphasize a message that touts "individual freedom" and "fiscal responsibility" -- "two longtime conservative mantras he says Republicans have squandered by racking up governmental debt and legislating so-called 'moral values.'" More here.
UPDATES: "Sheer absurdity." Also, Glenn has a number of links.
2006 worries
ZANESVILLE, Ohio -- After enlarging their majority in the past two elections, House Republicans have begun to fear that public attention to members' travel and relations with lobbyists will make ethics a potent issue that could cost the party seats in next year's midterm races.
In what Republican strategists call "the DeLay effect," questions plaguing House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) are starting to hurt his fellow party members, who are facing news coverage of their own trips and use of relatives on their campaign payrolls. Liberal interest groups have begun running advertising in districts where Republicans may be in trouble, trying to tie the incumbents to their leaders' troubles. Story here.
I had to read this story a couple of times. At first, I thought it was about the Tennessee General Assembly. Can you say "the Ford effect?"
TN marble and the U.S. Capitol
FRIENDSVILLE, Tenn. -- With diamond-tipped saws and gushing jets of water, the last active quarries for a distinctive pink and reddish-brown marble exclusive to eastern Tennessee are being mined for a major addition to the U.S. Capitol.
Story here.
A Rocky Top stroll
"Ecology vs economy debate in rural middle Tennessee."
"TN Drug Tax Law: No Arrest, No Guilt Required for State to Punish You."
A travel rant. Boy, can I relate.
A downtown Maryville development.
Operation Tennessee Waltz updates.
A unique plea
Story here. (registration required)
Tennessee's illegal drug tax
Defense lawyers say a new law allowing authorities to tax illegal drugs allows officials to bully people not convicted of crimes into paying thousands of dollars. Story here.
No arrest needed for state to tax illegal drugs.
SayUncle has been following this issue.
Troopers to collect racial data
CHATTANOOGA -- In an attempt to stop racial profiling, legislation that's been signed into law by the governor calls for Tennessee Highway Patrol officers to collect racial data during each traffic stop they make. Story here.
Another story:
May 16 - The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) on Thursday applauded the state Assembly for passing legislation that requires a study of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
A Nashville column:
It's this simple: State Rep. Beth Harwell needs to get her head out of the sand. Where in the world has she been? Listening to the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly?
"I think it's unnecessary," the Nashville Republican was quoted in this newspaper as saying Monday. "I don't think anyone has shown it's a problem. It's a waste of money and a waste of time for people we ask to do an awful lot already."
Harwell was referring to a bill in Tennessee's General Assembly that calls for state troopers to collect racial data about the motorists they stop. The "study on racial profiling bill" is aimed at monitoring whether officers unfairly target drivers who happen to be people of color.
Sunday samplings
KNS special report today:
Few issues tap such deep-seated emotion in East Tennessee as TVA's acquisition of family farms and their resale, decades later, to developers.
"Selling Nickajack." (registration required)
Which brings to mind that old refrain, "This land is your land, this land is my land."
And in Blount County, a new interstate? I posted on this back in January, complete with a map.
Bill Hobbs on "silent leadership," state ethics and an editorial.
Donald Sensing is back from his 25th wedding anniversary. Congrats! He's got some "contrarian" thoughts on "abusing the Quran."
SayUncle is back, and I like what is in the picture, and SKBubba is still "California dreaming."
Here's an Indianapolis Star report on Gatlinburg.
Glenn has several links on Howard "hot seat" Dean.
Too funny. "The annual Tom DeLay empire building contest." Also, Mark Rose has a scream on Dean.
South Knoxville waterfront
I got the following e-mail from Knoxville City Council member Joe Hultquist.
We are preparing in Knoxville, TN to embark on an extensive and comprehensive planning effort for our south waterfront area. With nearly three miles of shoreline and nearly three hundred acres of adjacent "bottom land" (much of it old industrial sites) this area, which is directly across from our downtown CBD, has tremendous potential. We intend to pursue that potential through a focused planning and redevelopment program. I have attached a RFQ/RFP document that solicits qualifications and preliminary proposals from consulting teams that are interested in participating in this project. We will be looking for multi-disciplinary teams with expertise in such areas as urban design, planning, landscape architecture, transportation, engineering and market analysis. This phase of the work will also include environmental assessment and archeological assessment of significant portions of the planning area.
This planning effort will reference a feasibility study, completed at the end of March, by Fregonese Calthorpe Associates. I encourage anyone who thinks they might be interested in submitting to review that study, which can be found at: http://www.cityofknoxville.org/development/report_sknox.pdf. Also, this RFQ/RFP can be downloaded at http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/purchasing/bids/0715_southwaterfront.pdf. For more information, please contact Dave Hill, City of Knoxville Chief Operating Officer by phone at (865) 215-3764 or by E-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com, or contact me directly.
Joe Hultquist
Knoxville City Councilman, 1st District
2240 Fisher Place
Knoxville, TN 37920
(865) 579-1250
A local bishop and his blog
Religious leaders are embracing one of the newest communication modes to connect with their communities.
One local bishop uses his weblog, or blog, to learn the area and connect with local clergy. He is recognized as being the nation's first United Methodist bishop to do so.
Story here. (registration required)
His blog is here.
More flippant Friday
Photo source.
Photo source.
No, I'm not implying anything by posting these. I just think they are pretty photographs.
Flippant Friday
Photo source.
A sign outside of the Tennessee General Assembly.
A Rocky Top stroll
The baby is here, and there's a bunch of good blogging on that at Domestic Psychology. "Doug made it 5 whole days before asking me if I will be going on a diet." Just keep scrolling down.
Some great vacation, photoblogging by SK Bubba and Fletch.
Mike Hollihan, guest blogging at SayUncle, dissects an editorial on Operation Tennessee Waltz.
John Brown on "Pantygate."
John Jay Hooker is advising U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. to get out of next year's U.S. Senate race.
Thomas Nephew on Deep Throat and Robert Novak.
Operation Tennessee Waltz updates
State Sen. Kathryn Bowers quits Democratic leadership post.
A local Bible battle
A 10-year-old boy is taking his battle to study the Bible at recess to a federal courtroom.
Karns Elementary School fourth-grader Luke Whitson, through his parents, has filed a civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Knox County Board of Education, School Superintendent Charles Lindsey and Karns Elementary Principal Cathy Summa.
Luke's parents, Samuel and Tina Whitson, contend Summa barred Luke from holding a Bible reading and discussion group at recess.
Story here, with a poll. (registration required)
Tongue-in-cheek Tennessee waltzing
The front door to the dance studio.
Tennessee Waltz, stepping on toes
KNS columnist Greg Johnson has a stinging one today. (registration required)
Bizarrely, most lawmakers reacted to the arrests with support, and some actually praised the alleged felons. There was even a laugh or two.
In his wild-eyed speech, Wilder wailed, "I'm hurt because John is where he is, and Roscoe is where he is and Kathryn is where she is. Three members of our family are in hell. Why? Because they're legislators."
Good one, Sen. Wilder. But it may be because they sinned.
Wilder even prayed wildly. "Money out there was here offered as bait to get someone in jail," Wilder instructed the Almightly. "It's wrong. It's not your (God's) way."
I doubt God laughed, Senator. Maybe your "family" members were wrong for allegedly accepting bribes. And surely senators selling their souls isn't His way.
And more:
Whoa, Lieutenant Governor, sir. "I know I know I know I know?" To paraphrase Howard Baker: What did you know and when did you know it, Sir? Seems like you knew nothing before the FBI took your "kids" away in handcuffs.
And even more:
Forget the Rodney Dangerfield routine, Sen. Henry. It's the citizens of Tennessee who don't get any respect from our legislators. Every legislator who opposed stringent ethics laws should apologize for embarrassing the whole state.
And just one more:
The lack of outrage and the absence of indignation in the face of this fiasco expose a severely dysfunctional legislative family. Wilder and Naifeh have been in charge of the dysfunction for decades.
Edmund Burke wrote, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." There are good men and women in our Legislature. It is time for them to stop doing nothing.
Tongue-in-cheek Thursday
Photo source.
Some of the "explanations" coming out of the Tennessee General Assembly.
Fred Thompson's new movie
You can register for a free copy of "Last Best Chance." It is a docudrama on regional nuclear threats, a topic the former Senator from Tennessee knows a little bit about. (Via Doug Petch)
As Doug notes, Fred plays the president. Hmmm?
Also, here's the transcript on the film and issue from Sunday's "Meet the Press."
The Tennessee waltzing is far from over
Do you suppose there's going to be increased talk of a Republican running for governor next year?
Kentucky blogger Doug Petch, who used to live in TN and follows events here, turns the focus on Gov. Phil Bredesen.
"I'm betting we'll here more about this in the weeks ahead, and I won't be surprised if the news isn't all good for the Governor."
He goes on to note an apparent story switch from the governor's office.
Bill Hobbs picks up on this, too.
NASHVILLE - Two men involved in the "Tennessee Waltz" sting may have violated state lobbyist laws, an official said Wednesday, while a Knoxville lawmaker said he will refund at least $100 of a political contribution from one of them. Story here. (registration required)
And the story just keeps giving:
NASHVILLE - A TennCare contractor linked to former state Sen. John Ford was wining and dining three other Tennessee lawmakers.
The TennCare Bureau released documents from United American Healthcare Corp. of Detroit on Wednesday that show its former chief executive bought meals for Ford, state Reps. Joe Armstrong, D-Knoxville, and Larry Miller and former state Sen. Roscoe Dixon. More here.
And yet more: Ex-Sen. John Ford had thousands of dollars in expenses paid for by a TennCare contractor over several years including lavish dinners, bar tabs and airplane flights, according to records released by the state Wednesday. More here.
To state the obvious, as I noted yesterday, watch for a lot of new faces running for office next year.
UPDATE: Adam Groves has more. And more from Lance in Iraq.
A THURSDAY TONGUE-IN-CHEEK UPDATE: West Tennessee shaken by an earthquake.
UPDATE III: State Sen. Ron Ramsey on John Ford getting a pension. "I find it even further disturbing that he will be able to collect a pension from the taxpayers for the rest of his life � even if he is convicted in federal and/or state courts of felony offenses resulting from malfeasance in office." More here.
UPDATE IV: Are more arrests coming soon? Mike Hollihan speculates.
In the air, "many urge sounds of silence"
Dear Federal Communications Commission,
Flying is bad enough these days without spending the trip next to someone talking on a cell phone.
That seems to be a common opinion among the 7,696 people and businesses who responded to the FCC's proposal to allow cell phone conversations on commercial flights.
Story here. There's also a poll on the subject.
UPDATE: Here's some info and contact info on the issue.
NYC under hurricane threat
History reveals that New York and the Northeast have been hit hard before, and with little warning. Scientists say the next major hurricane to strike the city is a question of when, not if. Story here.
They need to check more recent history. I was there when one struck last year. Oops. Did I just say that?
Oops on the EU vote
Beware of polls.
"Late poll points to narrow Dutch EU vote."
"Sixty-three percent vetoed the EU constitution in the referendum."
Journalism and conflicts
Respected LA Times political journalist and columnist Ronald Brownstein is in a bit of hot water over his marriage to U.S. Sen. John McCain's director of communications while at the same time writing about McCain. (Via Romenesko)
From the first link:
"I do not intend to treat McCain any differently as a result of my marriage, and my wife does not expect favored treatment for her boss. I certainly don't expect any special treatment from McCain or his aides. Readers, of course, will have to make their own judgments, but I am confident that her new job will not affect my judgments, pro and con, about McCain and his initiatives."
I don't like myself when I'm judgmental and I'll try not to be with Brownstein's situation. But I can relate and tell you how I handle such situations. I avoid them. My wife does political work and I don't cover anything she's involved in. (That's in my bio on this blog.) I'm not trying to be high and mighty, just simply communicating how I operate. It seems to me using common sense as a guide is the way to go.
Tongue-in-cheek Thursday, a day early
Photo source.
Tough first day back
My mind is still on vacation and jet lag is setting in. We had two tiresome days of travel and didn't get in until 11 last night. On Monday, we spent nearly four hours in line to cross the border at Tijuana. (Memo to self: Don't do that on a holiday!) At just 100 meters from the crossing, the "low fuel" light comes on. One can correctly assume that added to my stress level.
In addition, we were asked at the border for a picture of our daughter. Duh! We have over 1,000 photos of her, and we didn't have even one of them on us. And I thought I was being a diligent father in getting all the paperwork for her, including her Social Security card. You can bet we will soon have a passport for her!
The "Tennessee Waltz" cases
I'm late to the party but the arrests of four Tennessee state legislators on federal corruption charges is going to be with us for a long time. A couple of initial thoughts when I first heard about this while on vacation. The General Assembly will pay at the polls next year. In this case, memories will last that long, especially on top of the painful tussles over "ethics" and TennCare reforms. As a former political reporter, I've seen TN voters turn on a dime. Just ask former U.S. Sen. Jim Sasser.
Also, the arrest of former state Sen. John Ford, uncle of U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., will impact Harold Ford's bid for the U.S. Senate seat next year. That's sad but true. Personally, I will not be basing my vote in the '06 Senate race on the actions of any family members, but with some that will be a factor.
Here's some other thoughts from the Tennessee blogosphere:
Blogging for Bryant wonders why Ford Jr. announced from D.C.
Bill Hobbs on "waltzing through the loopholes."
John Ford t-shirts are already available.
John Ford already collecting his pension.
UPDATE: Republican state Representative Chris Newton issues a statement.
A sad sign of the times
I took this photo in downtown Ensenada, about 90 minutes south of San Diego. The flyer was posted in a shop window.
I'm Out. It's Been Fun.
I've enjoyed pinch hitting while Michael was on vacation. He's back and posting now so I'm out. It's been great fun.
Many thanks
To my guest bloggers, Les Jones, SayUncle and South Knox Bubba, a sincere thanks for filling in while I lounged south of the border for several days. I thought it was pretty neat to just open up unfiltered access to three local bloggers, and it worked. I may vacation more often! Meanwhile, SayUncle is off and has some guest bloggers, and SKBubba is blogging a road trip on I-40.
New west high school
Knox County's superintendent may reveal tonight the location of the long-awaited new high school. (registration required)
Meanwhile, former school board member Brian Hornback is citing "sources" on his blog on the anticipated location.


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The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction (Norton Anthology)by Richard (edt) Bausch
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The classroom standard for readers and aspiring writers of fiction, The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction offers the most comprehensive, engaging selection of classic and contemporary stories in the field.
About the Author
Richard Bausch holds the Lillian and Morrie A. Moss Chair of Excellence at the University of Memphis. He is the author of nine novels, including In the Night Season and Hello to the Cannibals, and five volumes of stories, among them a Modern Library edition of selected stories and The Stories of Richard Bausch. In 2004 he was given the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction.R. V. Cassill the original editor of The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, taught creative writing at the Iowa Writer's Workshop and at Brown, Purdue, Columbia, and Harvard. He was the author of more than thirty books of fiction, including the novels Clem Anderson, Dr. Cobb's Game, and After Goliath. Cassil's Collected Stories was published in 1989. He died in Rhode Island in 2002.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Greenland Gap
A Grant County Gem
The Nature Conservancy is a private non profit conservation organization whose mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends, Greenland Gap preserve is just one of a series of nature preserves that are owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy across the state of West Virginia. The primary feature of the preserve is the well developed, symmetrical water gap formed by the North Fork of Patterson Creek. The entire Gap is ringed by Oriskany Sandstone cliffs, which rise 800 feet above the cool, clear waters of the creek. The gap was also the site of an April 1863 battle between a small band of federal troops and General Jones' cavalry.
Two trails, one on each side of the Gap, take visitors to the top of the cliffs for dramatic views. Both trails begin near the car pull-off and main entrance sign on the east side of the Gap. The trails are very steep and rocky and are difficult unless you are in good physical condition. Do not attempt to hike these trails without water, hiking shoes, kicking stick, and well conditioned legs and heart.
While October with its fall foliage is the most dramatic and colorful time to visit, every season is beautiful at Greenland Gap. Hundreds of turkey vultures and ravens can be seen in the summer circling in the Gap's warm updrafts. Take extra care on the trails in wet and snowy weather.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONThe Nature Conservancy
Person Interviewed: Andrea Brandon
Title: Central Appalachian Program Coordinator
Location: Grant County, West Virginia
Address: PO Box 250 Elkins, WV 26241
Phone: 304 637-0160
Fax: 304 637-0584
Website: www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/westvirginia/placesweprotect/greenland-gap-preserve.xml
EMail: firstname.lastname@example.com
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Got a place you think Brad should travel? Email your suggestion!
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