Breaking News: Knoxville News-Sentinel reports Janice Holder to become first female Chief Justice

I first saw through Kleinheider, who linked to R. Neal, who gave me the News-Sentinel link.

This is great news, and a well-deserved promotion for Justice Holder, who was selected by her colleagues to succeed retiring Chief Justice William Barker, who will be gone as of September 1. Governor Bredesen will select Barker's replacement on the Court from either East or West Tennessee; the new Justice will be an associate.

I have to post something?

How about this on Little League vs. Christian Little League. Geez, I thought regular Little League was full of holier than thou parents who push their kids too much. Remember, regular Little League has not just Christians, but lots of Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Shinto, and various other religions so this guy who says Little League should embrace GOD is uh... wrong.

Wind farming comes to Lee County, IL

Photo by LeftWingCracker

As Lauren and I entered Lee County this evening near Sublette, IL, we saw these spectacular wind turbines rising some 90 feet in the air, and it was an awesome spectacle. I will have more photos from the digital camera later, this was taken from my cell phone. My nephew tells me that each blade is approximately 53 feet long. Amazing.

There are 15 such wind turbines, with more being built as we speak; once we can make such energy sources more efficient, it can help reduce the cost of energy and reduce, hopefully, our dependence on fossil fuels for heating, cooling and powering our homes, scvholls and businesses.

Mr. Carroll, report to the bridge, please

Photo by LeftWingCrackerYour humble Cracker, beginning tomorrow, begins a two-week vacation that includes a week-long trip with stops to see the fabulous Cathie Ryan at the Southern Illinois Irish Festival, which will also include a visit and overnight stay with local blogger/Ph.D candidate LeftWingCarolinaBlue.

Then, the next morning, we will wind our way north through Cumberland County, IL, ancestral home to my mother's side of the family. Lauren has never been to that part of Illinois before, and I want her to see it. This knowing that some day I will have to explore the unrelenting excitement that is Wichita, Kansas, but I digress.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, we will return to the place where I was born and Reagan grew up (before Nancy corrupted him), Dixon, IL. My hometown, bisected by the lovely yet polluted Rock River (which is hopefully back in its banks by now) is a town of 15,000 which was 20,000 when I lived there from by 1959 birth through August 1967, when we migrated to Northeast Arkansas. Of course, 5,000 of them were residents of the now-defunct Dixon State School, a state mental facility. (Note, they were always breaking out of there, I looked out our back door one evening when I was about 6, and a woman who looked like one of our neighbors but turned out to be one of the residents of DSS was there. Mom was upset, but the poor woman was harmless.)

Yes, this is far more boring than our beloved Newscoma's Annoying Autobiographical Pause, but if I don't keep practicing, I'll never be as good a writer as she is. Oh, hell, like ANYONE will get to that level, but, again, I digress, back to our story.

My last note about that is that my grandfather, who was a carpenter at DSS, used to drive past our street on the way home, and I had this tendency to go to the corner, wave at him, and he would come to our house, confusing my mother, who would ask "Hi, Dad, good to see you, why are you here?" only to learn that I had flagged him down. Good times.

While Dixon isn't Sin City, there is great fun to be had in that area; there, we are two hours from Chicago, an hour from the Quad Cities. an hour from Rockford, and an hour from God's Country, America's Dairyland, home to Brennan's Market, Little Switzerland and, of course, THE MOUNT HOREB MUSTARD MUSEUM. OY, I almost forgot, The Grumpy Troll Pub of Mt. Horeb! I speak, of course, of Wisconsin.

Yes, they may be Packer fans, sadly, but otherwise good people, even if Joe McCarthy hailed from there. Remember, so did LaFollette and so does Russ Feingold and Tammy Baldwin; it's a hell of a state and it's beautiful, unless you're there in the winter, then it's nothing but snow and deer hunters.

So, I will be coming home with cheese, beer and sausage for a few (sorry, can't do it for everyone or I'll have to charge!) and will return before the Kentucky Derby on May 3. There may be posting from me while I'm gone, but it will be up to Mr. Carroll to keep the fire going until I return.

Enjoy!

If you're an older Cub fan, you remember this

Lee Elia was the manager of the Chicago Cubs, who had just lost yet another tough one in the spring of 1983. After being asked what he thought of the fans' boos, well, this happened (NSFW!):

As if you needed any MORE reasons to support our Congressman

Watch him grill Robert Mueller...

It's time for some MISSIONARY work, my Democratic brothers and sisters

Now, I know what you're thinking, here, folks, Travis Childers is likely to be a Blue Dog and not as progressive as we like. Well, for a R+10 district, he does right fine, supporting FAIR Trade rather than Free Trade, which equates to giving our jobs away for nothing.

Face it, folks, we have the opportunity to steal one away from the Goopers IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI!!!!! HEL-LOOO! Not only that, this will help Childers retain the seat in the fall and help the Senatorial campaign of Ronnie Musgrove as well. Anything that makes Haley Barbour soil himself is something I can support!

I know he's not likely to be on ActBlue (and, sadly, it might hurt him in the short-term if he WERE), so, can ya help a brother out here? Do you REALLY want Greg Davis working in Congress against everything we stand for? Or would you rather have a guy who will be with us more often than not? We report, you decide!

Hillary can STILL win this election! Here's how:

Thanks to Janetta for this...

Here's the current status of the Clinton campaign in a nutshell

Maybe he needs to ask his pal LAMAR! for help with the Shelby County Budget!

Check this out. Here is a list of thirty people from around the state who claim to be Democrats who couldn't freaking wait to endorse LAMAR! for a another term in the US Senate. Five are from Shelby County, but I am particularly upset about one of them, and NOT the one you probably think.

Willie Herenton is NOT an elected Democratic official, and, to my knowledge, he is NOT serving as co-chair of any Democratic coordinated campaigns this year, so he gets a pass. Besides, after Don Sundquist, Jim Rout and LAMAR!'s original Senate campaign in 2002, it;'s old hat by now, and despite his protestations, he is for all intents and purposes an independent. That's fine with me, as he holds a non-partisan office. Besides, who the hell has he ever gotten elected besides himself, anyway, but I digress.

There is ONE elected official from Shelby County on that list, someone who was elected TWICE to their office as the nominee of the Democratic Party, yet, just like with Bill Gibbons' 2006 campaign for AG, he couldn't WAIT to endorse a Republican. His name is AC Wharton.

AC Wharton, who apparently believes he owes Republicans more for his two elections than Democrats. I know, he's term-limited, so what the hell can you do about it?

Me? Not a damn thing. However, the Shelby County legislative delegation, to whom he must turn in order to get permission to pass a payroll or privilege tax sure can, and don't think they haven't noticed. I don't care who he takes up there with him to lobby for this ability, it's DOA. Any leverage that our Democrats in Nashville may have had with the leadership went out the window when this got out. Yeah, I know this happened three months ago, but this is the sort of thing that festers over time.

What the hell possessed him to do this? Even if for some unknown reason he WANTED LAMAR! to win, he could have kept his damn mouth shut and disappeared whenever the Senate race came up for discussion.

I know, some of you are going to say, gee whiz, LAMAR!'s not like the other Goopers, he's part of the Baker-Alexander-Donelson Old Guard tradition and he's not knee-jerk. You see, he's not a maverick, either, and like others of that tradition, he has basically shut up and done what he's been told to do by the most reactionary GOP leadership since the beginning of their party in 1860. And he should be punished for this by removal from office this fall.

However, these weak-kneed Democrats ran to him just as soon as Mike McWherter chickened out of a challenge, and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so. This is what Kos, Chris Bowers, Atrios and others are talking about when they say more and BETTER Democrats, Democrats who support progressive politics and positions and don't turn chickenshit at the first sign of trouble.

Because of this, Mayor Wharton, you have crapped in your own bed; now you're going to have to lie in it.

Say, I've got a thought; why don't you call your buddy LAMAR! and have HIM lobby the General Assembly for you? I'm sure he'd LOVE to help you get more tax revenue for Shelby County, because he would support any tax hike for OH, WAIT, he's a REPUBLICAN, he never met a tax hike he liked, except when HE was Governor. Oh well, I tried, the rest is up to you.

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THIS was sure a smart thing to do......

NOT.

Does the junior Senator from New York have a deathwish for her campaign? The Huffington Post has a story (with audio) of Senator Clinton badmouthing Democratic activists like MoveOn.Org and those who support her opponent, Senator Barack Obama. Here's an excerpt of her remarks:

"Moveon.org endorsed [Sen. Barack Obama] -- which is like a gusher of money that never seems to slow down," Clinton said to a meeting of donors. "We have been less successful in caucuses because it brings
out the activist base of the Democratic Party. MoveOn didn't even want us to go into Afghanistan. (LWC note: that's a lie) I mean, that's what we're dealing with. And you know they turn out in great numbers. And they are very driven by their view of our positions, and it's primarily national security and foreign policy that drives them. I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who actually show up to support me."

Here's the money quote from Celeste Fremon, who also writes for OffTheBus:

The disclosure of Clinton's statement disparaging the prominence of party activists in the caucus process comes after she repeatedly suggested that Obama's electability had been compromised because he had allegedly offended other key Democratic constituencies.

What part of THE BASE DOES NOT WANT YOU have you not figured out, Senator?

Kleinheider's back

And the Nashville Post has him! And yes, he's going to be on the blogroll again in just a minute...

Now, THIS is an endorsement

With a hat tip to Joe Sudbay at AmericaBlog, here is the Philly Daily News endorsement of Barack Obama:

VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA

THE CHOICE in Tuesday's Democratic presidential
primary is not only the one between a white woman and a black man. It's a choice between the past and the future.

More specifically, the nation must decide how to face the future racing toward us in the form of slumping home sales, unstable financial markets and increased joblessness - and staring at us from the Green Zone in Iraq and the beds at veterans hospitals.

Should Democrats choose someone who will employ hard-won - even bitter - experiences gained in a past Democratic administration, or reach beyond political truisms toward a new (and untried) model of governing?

Neither choice is obvious. Perhaps that's why the race has gone on for so long.

But the long slog through 44 primaries and caucuses has confirmed for us that Sen. Barack Obama's vision of change - and the way he plans to pursue it - is what we need right now. Badly.

This is a campaign that really began six years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001. Not only was the U.S. attacked and seriously wounded, it did not bounce back the way "the land of the free and home of the brave" should have. In fact, it still suffers from post-traumatic stress.

That day and its aftermath cried out for a revolution of values: a clear-eyed shared vision, a cooperative effort, a unified purpose. It cried out for a recognition that conventional warfare and conventional responses to domestic challenges in an era of globalization were not enough.

That cry was not answered.

Instead, the Bush administration embarked on an unconscionable plan to exploit the fear we all felt that day for political gain. It lied us into a disastrous war in Iraq, a staggering, record deficit at home, a weakening of the constitutional structure on which the country rests, and poisonous lines of division among Americans. It led us to a place where 81 percent of Americans say we're on the wrong track.

Contrary to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign slogan, we believe Barack Obama is more likely to be "ready on Day One" to lead us in a new direction. Because of his experience.

Sure, Clinton has more "experience" of a sort. For one thing, she has 14 more years on earth. How much of this experience is directly applicable to the job of president is, at best, debatable.

We are frankly troubled by her assumption that her husband's administration and accomplishments were her own. And if her equation holds, that the first spouse is an equal partner in the administration, then the reappearance of Bill Clinton in the White House is a prospect we have a hard time reconciling with the work that needs to be done.

THERE IS a way to match Clinton's and Obama's performances on a relatively equal playing field: their campaigns.

A candidate's campaign may be the best indicator of how she or he will govern. If so, an Obama administration would be well-managed, inclusive and astonishingly broad-based. It would make good use of technology and communicate a message of unity and, yes, hope.

It would not be content with eking out slim victories by playing to the narrow interests of the swing voters of the moment while leaving the rest of the country as deeply divided as ever. Instead, an Obama administration would seek to expand the number of Americans who believe that they have a personal stake in our collective future - and that they have the power to change things.

It would motivate them to hold their representatives accountable for
making it happen. That is, after all, the only way to get us out of Iraq, to
address global warming, to make us energy-independent. It's the only way to resist the forces arrayed against providing universal health care, rebuilding our infrastructure and returning our schools to world-class status. It's the only way to give our children the means to compete with children in other parts of the world who are healthier, better-educated and have more opportunities than many of our own.

An Obama administration would be freer of the corrupting influence of big-money donors and corporate interests. Obama has raised $240 million overall, with half coming in contributions of less than $200. People who contribute to political campaigns can feel they "own" a
candidate and so Obama would owe allegiance to the wide swath of America that has financed his campaign.

Based on his experience in running a quarter-billion-dollar enterprise with thousands upon thousands of volunteers, we could expect an Obama administration to be well-managed and cost-effective, with the president choosing forward-thinking advisers committed to his program, demanding that they work as a team and pay attention to details.

He would be steady and calm, given neither to irrational exuberance or outbursts of anger. He would make mistakes, that's for sure, but he could be expected to recognize them, adjust, and move forward.

He would adjust his views to reality rather than trying to adjust reality to his views.

Obama's unprecedented appeal to younger voters is significant not only because it expands the electorate, which is vital. It's also a validation of his promise as a president to be free of the baby-boomer/Vietnam/segregation-era hangups.

Younger people are more egalitarian, more accepting of diversity, and more comfortable with rapid change. They also are less confined by old resentments or regrets.

AND AN OBAMA administration would lower the tone of the rhetoric that separates us.

As New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has said, Obama is a
once-in-a-lifetime candidate who has the skill and eloquence to help us raise our eyes and our aspirations beyond individual, personal concerns, beyond religion or region or race or gender, beyond our well-founded fears to a shared destiny.

Most candidates claim that they will change the way business is
done in Washington. Barack Obama has made us believe that, yes, he can. *

Tuke for Tennessee

Tuke for Tennessee

Bob Tuke finally has his website up in his Senate race (H/T to Sharon Cobb), and I hope you'll go over there and take a look at it, and sign up for email updates. So far, among elected officials from Big Shelby, only Lois Deberry has signed up with the former TDP Chair, but I hope more will follow.

Yes, he also supports Obama, that's an added bonus. Go give him a shout out!

Update: here's the announcement video:

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Yahoo! I made it to 1000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and germs, this is your humble Cracker's 1000th post, in our fourth year of operation, and I want to thank YOU for your viewing, your reading, your comments, and your support.

Thanks also to Jon for his commentary, I'm glad he settled here to help out with this effort.

Onward to 2000 and beyond!!!!!

UPDATE: in addition to the wonderful comments you have left, our beloved Newscoma is leading cheers at her place on this milestone, for which I am thankful...

Could we have an upset brewing in North Mississippi??

Brownsox at Daily Kos says it could happen, even though he also says Southaven Mayor Greg Davis should be favored, Democrat Travis Childers is moving up:

Frankly, given the area's Republican nature, I think it's highly impressive that we're competitive in this district at all. The fact that this race is competitive speaks to Childers' strengths as a candidate, as well as to the popularity-or lack thereof-of his rather controversial opponent Greg Davis, who apparently has a somewhat unpleasant history with racist groups:

In Mississippi's Second District, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis
agreed in 2001 to accept a plaque as a gift from the Council of Conservative Citizens, thanking the town for flying the state flag in the midst of a controversy over the flag's Confederate emblems, according to press reports at the time.

There was a brief public outcry, during which Davis initially
defended accepting the gift from the CCC, which is well-known for espousing doctrines of "racial integrity." In the end though, Davis declined the gift. The episode involving the CCC hasn't emerged as an issue in the current campaign -- yet. But Davis won a seriously contested primary, and might just be vulnerable against Prentiss County clerk Travis Childers, the Dem challenger.

Stay tuned!

Bye, Derrick...

Photo - Mike Brown - Commercial Appeal

To the astonishment of no one, Derrick Rose is leaving for the NBA after one season, according to the CA. Of course he is; his market value will never be higher, and he does not need to run the risk of injury that could derail a potential pro career. Weep not, he gave us all he had for as long as he could, and he was one foul short of a national championship for his troubles, and this blog says THANK YOU to Mr. Rose, he was a comet, leaving brilliance in his wake.

Now, if NTFN (Not The Fox News') Chris Wallace will think about trading a package to get him....

61 Years

Jackie Robinson debuted 61 years ago. Think about it.

Too Funny

Bravo! Come down for “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”!

“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” EVENT
MARKS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF IRAQ WAR’S END

THIRD MAN, GIANT BEAR,

ANTIQUE CURTAINS,

AND DAN MONTGOMERY
TO PLAY FREE OUTDOOR EVENT DOWNTOWN,
FEATURING CLASSIC PROTEST SONGS AND ORIGINAL MATERIAL

SATURDAY, MAY 3, BEGINNING AT 2:00 P.M.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC,

NEAR THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MORE INFO:
April 8, 2008

Kerry Hayes
kerry.hayes@gmail.com

901 481 5104

Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. --George W. Bush, May 1, 2003

MEMPHIS—On Saturday, May 3, we commemorate the fifth anniversary of this historic moment with “Mission Accomplished: Five Years Later,” an afternoon of free music and free thought. Memphis artists Dan Montgomery, Antique Curtains, Giant Bear, and The Third Man will take the stage on the grounds near South Main Street and Nettleton Avenue, near the National Civil Rights Museum, to perform a selection of classic and contemporary protest music.
“Mission Accomplished: Five Years Later” is an outdoor event, free and open to the public.

The artists:
Dan Montgomery: "Montgomery's ability to spot people you'd never notice and turn them into characters you can't resist is uncanny." –Cosmik Debris.

Antique Curtains: “Perfectly Wire-d songs with an arty, angular approach that will leave you panting for more.” –vicitimoftime.com

Giant Bear: “This highly touted Memphis-based quintet throws big band, bluegrass, country and Bob Dylan into a blender with unpredictable and exhilarating results.” –Creative Loafing
The Third Man: "Smart pop is hard to come by, and the Third Man's latest release, ‘Among the Wolves,’ is borderline brilliant.” –Commercial Appeal

Key Points:

While Memphis’ activist community have staged and/or taken part in numerous rallies and protests opposing the Iraq War, this is the first event to include significant participation by Memphis’ independent music community.

Each band/artist will be performing a mix of classic “protest” rock music (Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, etc.) as well as original music.

Yes, we are doing this to take advantage of the many thousands of people who will already be downtown for Beale Street Music Festival.

No, we are not trying to position ourselves as a competitor to that event. This is a locally-focused alternative to mark an important date in the history of our nation’s propaganda.

3,874 American lives have been lost since May 1, 2003—a date that President George W. Bush arbitrarily declared “an end” to the Iraq War. (Source: www.antiwar.com/casualties)

Tennessee has lost 93 men and women in the war. (Source:projects.washigtonpost.com/fallen )

As our country slips farther into recession, the long-term economic burden of the war on American taxpayers is currently estimated as $1 – 5 billion. (Source: www.alternet.org/waroniraq)

Photos, MP3s, press materials and artist interviews available
by contacting Kerry Hayes, kerry.hayes@gmail.com or 901 481 5104.

Preach it, brother!

H/T to The Field..

Return of the Zombies

Oh-oh, fearlessvk warns us that in a mere 12 days, Zombies are coming back for your brains.

Don't say you haven't been warned.

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Greg Maddux

Greg Trott/Getty Images

ESPN The Magazine has a wonderful story about the Majors' all-time Active leader in victories, whom I have followed since he first came up with the Cubs. A certain Hall of Famer, I am eagerly awaiting the game when he passes Roger Clemens on the all-time victories list.

I am having a blast playing with Flock; it has a blog editor in the browser, which is how I am posting this, it let me do a drag-and-drop with the above picture. Cool, eh?

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We're testing this out...

I just downloaded Flock as a browser, and I want to see how this works...

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Weekly Blogger Roundup returns

The Sunday "spring has sprung but why is it so cold?" edition of the TennViews weekly blog roundup showcasing the best bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Add my voice to the "Bredesen Blew It" Chorus: Disappointing is becoming a real habit for you.

• 55-40 Memphis: Scary: In fact, some days I'm not absolutely certain he's black, but I'll take Obama's word for it.

• Aunt B.: Why Does Nashville Have Such a High Incarceration Rate?: So, why is our jail a quarter full of illegal immigrants and Memphis’s jail not?

• BlountViews (yellowdog): TDOT Still Backwards After All These Years: The TDOT people and the consultants they hire are stuck in old and irrelevant system of transportation planning rules, and it will take public outcry and active engagement at the level of the regional transportation planning organizations (TPOs) to change it.

• Carole Borges: Mandated health insurance causing problems in MA: One thing we certainly don't need in America is another law that involves the government making choices for citizens. The crisis in MA should make people stop and think before they jump on the mandated health insurance bandwagon. It just might be going nowhere.

• The Crone Speaks: Uninsurance Third Leading Cause of Death for Near-Elderly: How many people should die because they don't have health insurance, before we recognize the need for a Medicare for All program?

• Cup of Joe Powell: Devilish Details In TN Cable Franchise Legislation: But it's rather obvious the state legislature has crafted a plan to serve the needs of business first and residents second. Given the solemn claim by Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh to push this plan through, your voice and the voices of other Tennessee residents has little impact, and this proposal will likely become the law in Tennessee.

• Don Williams: As KnoxVoice reinvents herself, so am I: I’m optimistic or naive enough to believe our old world and country are headed for a gentler blooming. Springtime is the season for hope, renewal, for celebrating touchstones and anniversaries.

• The Donkey's Mouth: One more reason why Lincoln looks strong in ‘08: It does seem fishy that Lankford lives outside of the district and will probably be self-financed. A New York Times article, "Short of Funds, GOP recruits rich to run," talks about the significant dearth of fundraising and legitimate recruits at the RNC.

• Enclave: Senate's Foreclosure Prevention Act Forecloses on Families: Once again, in a crisis the U.S. Senate is going to come down on the side of the people who are hurting least in the housing industry. And as Republicans, the Senators of Tennessee can do no other.

• Fletch: Lackluster and Luster

• KnoxViews: State funded luxury hunting lodge audit findings: Apparently, most of the funds have gone to build a luxury hunting lodge and payment of Bittle's salary. (Bittle sponsored the bill that created the specialty license plate and directed the proceeds to his foundation while he was a member of the Tennessee House.) The state audit recommends changes to state law to require better accounting of how such funds are spent.

• Lean Left: Lean Left: They have violated laws and common decency with impunity. They will probably get away with it -- our press refuses to cover it and our Democratic leadership refuses to act. Plus: Petraeus and Crocker: Iraq Wrong War with No Way Out

• Left of the Dial: No Thanks: I received an offer to interview either Sean Astin or John Grisham tomorrow about their support of Hillary Clinton. I passed. I'm all for Hillary but, sorry, no free ad time.

• Left Wing Cracker: Stunning news from the Election Commission: This changes everything, folks, stay tuned...

• Liberadio: This week's Liberadio(!) podcast You know what else John McCain’s not so strong on? Giving Martin Luther King his props., plus more.

• Loose TN Canon: Colin Powell supports Iraq withdrawal and praises Obama

• NewsComa: Meeting Mike Padgett: an extensive report

• Progressive Nashville: Closed-minded legislators: The Tennessee legislature, which has spent an inordinate amount of time this session trying to close records and operate in secret, is at it again with a plan to make it more difficult to obtain public records. Plus: Thompson floated as veep

• Resonance: "Success" In Iraq: Here's my definition...

• RoaneViews: A Letter to Tommy Kilby, and His response: Don't exclude "limited resource waters" from "waters" of the state

• Russ McBee: On the Olympic torch protests: Although the Olympics are supposed to be beyond politics and are supposed to rise above international disputes, the Chinese government itself is assuring that this cannot happen.

 • Sean Braisted: Alexander and "Big Oil": Bob Tuke, in an appeal for contributions, takes Sen. Lamar Alexander to task for being in the pockets of "big oil". Plus: DSCC Forgets Tennessee

• Sharon Cobb: Hey Tennessee, Jon Stewart is coming To Nashville, plus: Total Bullsh*t That Hillary Calls On Boycott Of Olympic Games Now: While I am in total agreement that the entire planet should boycott the Olympics in China, why didn't Hillary Clinton call for a boycott before this week?

• Silence Isn't Golden: Silence Isn't Golden: The Bitter Irony: Of all of the faux outrage over Obama's statement, this has got to be the most ironic. Plus: Define "Women's Issues"

• Southern Beale: Gus Puryear: Still A CCA Crony: Why is Democrat Thurgood Marshall Jr. endorsing Gus Puryear, Bush’s controversial pick for the federal bench in Middle Tennessee? Plus: Energy Saved Is Energy Found

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Governor Rendell (D-PA): Obama Should Pay Keith Olbermann, plus: Photos of NYC Protest Against Hillary-Hating Media Bias

• TennViews: TN Senate 08 wrinkle: Questions arise whether Overbey is qualified to be on the ballot v. Sen. Raymond Finney. Plus: Republicans defeat Rural Health Act.

• Vibinc: Free Ride: The Tennessee Bush Dogs are on their way to re-election, some with less opposition than others.

• Whites Creek Journal: George W. Bush Should Stay Away from the Olympics!: No, I'm not proposing a boycott... I just don't want George W. Bush representing America any more. Plus: Stoopid Human Tricks: A close second behind coal burning in the stupid human tricks department is damming rivers.

• Women's Health News: 1) Think About Sex. 2) Design Undies. 3) Win!

Stunning news from the Election Commission

My sources have told me that, by a unanimous 5-0 decision, the Shelby County Election Commission approved the petition of Rep. Joe Towns, Jr. (D-Memphis) to run for the Democratic nomination for Congress from the 9th Congressional District.

Holy crap!

Unlike Nikki Tinker, Towns has A) legislative experience, B) a record of public service to the Memphis community and C) an ability to draw votes from the African-American community, which makes him a viable candidate against Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis).

This changes everything, folks, stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last word on the 2007-2008 Tiger season

Congratulations to the Lady Vols and Pat Summitt

AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Now, before some of you Tiger fans cringe in horror, let me remind you that MOST of the Vol fans that I saw online and other places were pulling their asses off for us last night, and it's time we returned the favor.

Pat Summitt is the best coach in the history of college basketball, having won more games than anyone else.  You will notice that I didn't discriminate between Men's and Women's hoops, either.  I love John Wooden, but at the young age of 58, Pat Summitt will be around long enough to tie and pass his record of ten NCAA championships if she wants.

Show some love to the Lady Vols, folks, they have more than earned it.

And now, let's show some appreciation for a truly remarkable accomplishment.

For all that we are still grieving over last night, it is time to step back and note that something wonderful and beautiful is scheduled to take place at the end of this coming summer.

Joey Dorsey, who comes from a neighborhood in Baltimore so stark and bleak that he says THE WIRE didn't really capture how bad it was, who is not only the first member of his family to attend college but the first to GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL (let that soak in for a moment), is on track to receive his Bachelor's degree.

Given his background, abandoned by his father, this is is a far greater accomplishment than all of his wonderful playing for the Tigers combined.  Joey, if you finish and are willing to walk across that stage, I'm coming to your graduation, and I'd like the whole city to come with me.

Folks, we owe this to Joey for having the courage to escape the hellish nightmare of his neighborhood, for having the courage to graduate high school under such conditions, and becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college.  He has given us thrills for lo these many years, and we need to honor him for something that will matter far more than his numerous accomplishments on the court.

I would like to see at least a thousand people, if not a lot more, pack the stands at graduation, and when Mr. Dorsey's name is called, we need to give him a standing ovation for this achievement.  

I will get more details later, but let's plan this shindig!

Bob Knight sums it up

We simply did not finish.

Derrick Rose was right in the post-game interview, it wasn't the free throws, it was the plays BEFORE the free throws.

Like Joey Dorsey making a bad foul for his fifth and final one, going out just past two minutes.  It's Rose himself not taking the ball and dominating until the second half, and then shying away again in the last two minutes.  It's not fouling Mario Chalmers before he could get a shot off, which would have sent him to the line for TWO, not three shots, which would have kept us in the lead.  It's a million little things that caused what Bill Simmons would call a Stomach Punch game.

This loss will go down as one of the great collapses in sports history, and it did not have to happen.  Bill Self out-coached John Calipari when it counted, and our guys, well, as much as we still love them, choked.  I still support them, I want to attend Joey Dorsey's graduation this summer, but our Tigers choked tonight, and that's why Kansas equaled Duke with their third Men's Basketball championship.

To Cal's ever-lasting credit, the stood up and took full responsibility for this, as he should have.  We were not prepared for intensity at crucial moments, and it comes back to him.  Don't worry, as badly as the fans feel, as badly as the players feel, as badly as we ALL feel, no one feels worse about this than John Calipari.  

He is now faced with the graduations of Joey Dorsey and the suspended Andre Allen, the almost-certain departure of Derrick Rose (he would be a top 3 lottery pick, folks, he CAN'T stay), and Chris Douglas-Roberts, so we are FAR from a Final Four trip next year.

And what should we make of the Newsday report (H/T to TrueHoop) that the Knicks are interested in hiring Calipari away from the U of M?  This could be the last trip in a LONG time for this program, which is what makes this hurt even worse.

Damn, we might need to hire a shaman after this to rid the whole town of a curse; I really thought tonight would be the end, but I guess not.  It hurts, and will for a long, long time; I just hope it doesn't take so long that Larry Finch never sees it.

Enough for now.

OK, we've got a moratorium on politics here at least until Wednesday

Courtesy Matt York/AP via ESPN

Because we here have other things on our mind.  First, go to the CA website and see the picture and the caption: The FIRST #1 SEED TO FALL.....  UCLA.

Damn skippy.  As you may have noticed, especially if you are a Memphian, the Memphis Tigers exorcised 35 years of demons against the sons of Westwood, dominating UCLA, 78-63 in the first National Semifinal.  They will face the Kansas Jayhawks, who blew out to a 28-point lead in the first half, only to see North Carolina pulling within four points in the second half, only to see the Tar Heels run out of gas and lose.

What I enjoyed was watching the guys afterward and noticing that, while they were happy, they were not overjoyed, because they knew that the job is not yet finished.  39-1 must be achieved.

But until Monday at 8:17 P.M., let me offer the comments of the gentleman who is the person after whom this blog was named, and who was a freshman at MSU when they lost to the Bruins in 1973:  FUCK BILL WALTON.

GO TIGERS, ONE MORE TO GO.

I had just about given up on American popular music

Because, you know, these kids listen to music and it's just NOISE.  Why, in my day, you could listen to the soothing sounds of those hep cats from Public Enemy or before that, the Sex Pistols or the Ramones.  Nowadays, though, it's just HEY! GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN! 

Sorry, you know how these kids are.  Anyway, I was grumbling about the state of music when the Goddess that is Newscoma turned me on to this snappy little ditty that I think you can dance to, give it a listen.  It's Saul Williams with LIST OF DEMANDS.

Let us ALWAYS remember this moment....

Your 2008 candidates for office

Courtesy of your Shelby County Election Commission!

CANDIDATES FOR AUGUST 7, 2008
STATE AND FEDERAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 7 Vote for One (1)
JAMES TOMASIK DEMOCRAT
TOM LEATHERWOOD REPUBLICAN

(Note - Marsha probably filed in Williamson County)

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 8 Vote for One (1)

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 9 Vote for One (1)
STEVE COHEN DEMOCRAT
JAMES GREGORY DEMOCRAT
ISAAC RICHMOND DEMOCRAT
NIKKI TINKER DEMOCRAT
M. LaTROY WILLIAMS DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE SENATE DISTRICT 28 Vote for One (1)
JIM KYLE DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE SENATE DISTRICT 30 Vote for One (1)
BEVERLY ROBISON MARRERO DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE SENATE DISTRICT 32 Vote for One (1)
MARK NORRIS REPUBLICAN


TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 83 Vote for One (1)
BRIAN KELSEY REPUBLICAN

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 84 Vote for One (1)
JOE TOWNS, JR. DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OR REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 85 Vote for One (1)
EDDIE JONES DEMOCRAT
PAUL LEWIS DEMOCRAT
LARRY TURNER DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 86 Vote for One (1)
BARBARA COOPER DEMOCRAT
GEORGE T. EDWARDS, III REPUBLICAN

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 87 Vote for One (1)
JENNINGS BERNARD DEMOCRAT
KAREN CAMPER DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 88 Vote for One (1)
LARRY J. MILLER DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 89 Vote for One (1)
JEANNE D. RICHARDSON DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 90 Vote for One (1)
JOHN J. DEBERRY, JR. DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 91 Vote for One (1)
LOIS M. DEBERRY DEMOCRAT
TIMOTHY EDWARD COOK, JR. REPUBLICAN

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 92 Vote for One (1)
G. A. HARDAWAY, SR. DEMOCRAT
EDDIE NEAL DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 93 Vote for One (1)
MIKE KERNELL DEMOCRAT
TIM COOK REPUBLICAN

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 95 Vote for One (1)
CHRISTOPHER L. TAYLOR DEMOCRAT
CURRY TODD REPUBLICAN
MICK WRIGHT REPUBLICAN

Note - Mick is the first blogger to run for local office, AFAIK

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 96 Vote for One (1)
STEVE McMANUS REPUBLICAN

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 97 Vote for One (1)
JIM COLEY REPUBLICAN

Note - Jim Coley is a Republican we can ALL support.

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 98 Vote for One (1)
BORIS COMBEST DEMOCRAT
ULYSSES JONES, JR. DEMOCRAT

TENNESSEE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 99 Vote for One (1)
RON LOLLAR REPUBLICAN



CANDIDATES FOR AUGUST 7, 2008
STATE-WIDE & SHELBY COUNTY GENERAL ELECTIONS

CRIMINAL COURT JUDGE, DIVISION 6 Vote for One (1)
LATONYA S. BURROW
CLAIBORNE FERGUSON
MICHAEL G. FLOYD
JOHN T. FOWLKES, JR.


ASSESSOR OF PROPERTY Vote for One (1)
CHEYENNE JOHNSON DEMOCRAT
BILL GIANNINI REPUBLICAN

TRUSTEE
PAUL MATTILA DEMOCRAT
RAY BUTLER REPUBLICAN
RODERICK FORD INDEPENDENT
M. LaTROY WILLIAMS INDEPENDENT
DAVID W. VINCIARELLI INDEPENDENT
TAMMY WARREN INDEPENDENT

GENERAL SESSION COURT CLERK Vote for One (1)
OTIS JACKSON DEMOCRAT
CHRIS TURNER REPUBLICAN
ROBERT J. MATTHEWS, JR. INDEPENDENT

COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2 Vote for One (1)
RICHARD HASLEY
J. W. HILL, II
JIM W. JONAKIN
JOE MORTON
TRAVIS MOSBY
MICHAEL WISSMAN

COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4 Vote for One (1)
EDGAR BABIAN
JOE CLAYTON
BEVERLY J. WILLIAMS

COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 6 Vote for One (1)
DIANE GEORGE
TODD PAYNE

Don't faint, but...

I LIKE this Hillary commercial, where the hell has this been? Hat tip to THE FIELD.