Monday, March 31, 2008

Yes, I know..

We're going to the Final Four, but today is the REAL Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and that's what's on my mind at the moment.

Despite the fact that Kerry Wood gave up three runs in the top of the 9th to their chief rivals for the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers (sorry, Jody, the Cardinals are going to suck this year), newly arrived outfielder Kosuke Fukudome hit a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom half to send the game to extra innings. However, the Cubs bullpen couldn't handle the newly-found prosperity, losing to the Brew Crew, 4-3.

The Southsiders were in Cleveland, and lost, 10-8, despite TWO Jim Thome homers. It's going to be a LOONNNGGG season at the Cell, I fear, because the pitching just isn't there.

As for you Cardinal fans, The Birds took a 5-1 lead, complete with an Albert Pujols homer, before the rain washed it way; Opening Day is now opening night on Tuesday. It's just as well, with the exception of Wainwright, Pujols and Rick Ankiel, they're old and they're going to stink on ice; 4th place would be over-achieving for this bunch. Think I'm kidding? How have their AAA Redbirds done recently? Uh-huh, it's not pretty.

That's OK, I've got the Braves on HD, thanks to CSS, so I'm going to go watch some more baseball.

Later, I will speak my piece about how, if she wanted to, Hillary could still campaign and actually HELP the Democratic Party, instead of trying to ensure the defeat of its' strongest candidate, Barack Obama. Back to Tommy G and his return to Turner Field!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

It's BAAACK

The Sunday "spring break's over, back to work" 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: Five Years. 4000 Dead.

• 55-40 Memphis: So the Clintons want Obama to lose to McCain, so Bill is still in power and Hillary has a shot at the presidency in four years.

• Aunt B.: Why, you may ask, are toll roads in Tennessee a stupid idea?

• BlountViews: Our education system is preparing students for jobs that do not even exist.

• Carole Borges: At a time when our economy is grinding to a halt, why outsource this plum contract to a foreign firm?

• The Crone Speaks: Shorter version, protect the companies, screw the people, and let’s not deal with correcting the economic bubble.

• Cup of Joe Powell: My Congressman thinks I'm an idiot.

• Don Williams: How Arthur C. Clarke’s voice of cosmic wonder changed OUR lives.

• The Donkey's Mouth: The scurrilous claims made by a fellow Republican about the inappropriate use of campaign funds could be a problem for Blackburn further on down the road.

• Enclave: The voters are leaving party leaders in the dust today, in the rodeo dust of a Ft. Worth Coliseum.

• Fletch: The Tao of Dinghy

• KnoxViews: Scenic Vista Act update (Bonus: Spirited Democratic primary strengthens candidates and the party)

• Lean Left: But, aside from setting the Republican double standard in concrete for all to see, Rice’s remarks are kind of amusingly pathetic.

• Left of the Dial: More lottery suspicions

• Left Wing Cracker: After this, it doesn't matter. She can win in Pennsylvania but it doesn't matter, her campaign will end unsuccessfully.

• Liberadio: Dana Perino is so uncomfortable answering for President Bush’s crimes against humanity that I almost feel sorry for her.

• Loose TN Canon: Hobbs deleted my comments!

• NewsComa: Newspapers, this is the new world of communication and how news is evolving.

• Pesky Fly: The only credible conclusion I can come to is that Mark Penn, whose lobbying firm is run by one of McCain's top advisors, is simply teeing up Obama for a general election sweep.

• Progressive Nashville: Insurance companies don't want you to use the insurance. They just want you to pay for it.

• Resonance: What's the point in holding elections if the delegates need not honor the results?

• RoaneViews: Congressman Lincoln Davis... Relaxed

• Russ McBee: In Dick Cheney's mind, the misguided and mendacious decisions made by his "boss" are somehow more of a burden than the loss felt by those 4,000 families.

• Sean Braisted: Now, in an effort to show that Hillary Clinton is the only person left running for President who can answer a phone past 2:30AM, she tries to tie the economy to late-night/early-morning phone calls:

• Sharon Cobb: Another day, another lie from Hillary

• Silence Isn't Golden: (W)ine in the grocery store won't drive the big-spending customers away from the retailers.

• Southern Beale: President Bush and his economic advisers assume that people will rush off to WalMart to load up on more cheap Chinese-made crap they don’t need as soon as the check arrives.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: If the old guard Democrats were to succeed at pushing the woman off the Democratic ticket only to face a Black woman on the Republican ticket, that would mean there really is a goddess and she really is pissed.

• TennViews: New challenger in TN Senate 4th District

• Vibinc: No one is going to heal the divisions, fix the crime, educate our kids, stop the cycle of poverty, or lower teen pregnancy and infant mortality for us Memphis, we have to do it for ourselves.

• Whites Creek Journal: There is a serious problem for both Clinton and McCain in this election cycle... They are both up against an honest person.

Women's Health News: Nipple Ring as National Security Threat

It was a good time...

Senator Beverly Marrero at the petition-signing party for her and Rep. Mike Kernell Saturday at Garibaldi's on Walker.

         Your Cracker with Carol Chumney and Senator Marrero
Your humble Cracker with our Trustee nominee, Paul Mattila
Sen. Marrero, County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, Carol Chumney, Rep. Mike Kernell.

Photos courtesy of Jody Hurt

It was an enjoyable gathering at Garibaldi's on Walker Saturday after noon as Senator Beverly Marrero (D-30) and Rep. Mike Kernell threw a petition-signing party.  Among those in attendance were City Councilor Shea Flinn, County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, former State Representative and City Councilor Carol Chumney, former SCDP chair David Cocke, State Executive Committeeman David Upton, Jackson Baker of the Memphis Flyer, SCDP Committeeman Lynn Strickland, Democratic activists Will Beaty, Latoya Belgrave, Howard Cohn, Mike Brester, and Paul Mattila, our Democratic nominee for County trustee.

There was lots of pizza and socializing and discussions about the presidential race; more about that in a later post!  All in all, a fun time was had by all.

Filing deadline is noon on Thursday, and I will be at the County Election Commission to see if there are any surprises in the legislative races.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Yes, Kerry, you're right, I should have posted sooner.

The Civil Rights Game will take place tomorrow afternoon at AutoZone Park at 4 PM, featuring the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets. It will be shown on ESPN, and I believe tickets may still be available.

The Sox have looked shaky in the Spring, but that often portends a strong season. However, in the AL Central, where Cleveland and Detroit have a hammerlock, it could be problematic for the South Siders.

As for the Mets, I happened to be in the Philly area when the Mets blew the NL East, and they are hoping that the acquisition of Johan Santana will bring them back from the depths of despair.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Let's forget about politics for a minute..

Since it's been a long strange week (more later), we need something positive to point us toward the weekend, why not present one of the greatest moments in the history of Memphis music, hell. ALL music:

Otis at Monterey. Enjoy....

Hey you! Yeah, you, You live in House 93 or Senate 30?

Then listen up, as Senator Beverly Marrero (D-30) and Rep. Mike Kernell (D-93) are having a petition-signing party this Saturday at Garibaldi's, 3530 Walker Avenue (near the U of M)from Noon to 2 PM. Come by, say hi, and if you like (AND live in their district, that's a must), sign their petitions for re-election.

It should be fun, so come on out and meet with our legislators this Saturday. No, the Tigers play Friday night (and hopefully, Sunday afternoon!), so you won't miss it (they have big screeen TVs in any event.

As always, for more information, contact Jody Hurt at 901-283-5528 or Memphisjody40 at aol.com

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

This sums the whole Herenton situation up beautifully

Dwayne commented on the post below, and well, you just need to read this:


Henry Loeb was mayor when I was a teen, developing my political views. In addition to being a racist, Loeb was a narcissistic elitist who put his own ego above the welfare of the City. He made me gravitate towards the Democratic Party. His successor, Wyeth Chandler, was similar in philosophy to Loeb but more laid back. In fact, downtown and much of the rest of the City stagnated under his rein. Dick Hackett came after him. Hackett was a petty and immature micromanager who managed to let Holiday Inn and almost St. Jude go.

While Herenton did well for his first two terms, I believe his own personal character flaws have affected both his administration and the self image of many Memphians. He seems to adopted many of the same characteristics of his last three predecessors, especially Loeb, with similar polarizing effects. The white community is unified against him as was the black community against Loeb. Like Loeb, Herenton has lost many moderates of both races and relies on the race card for support. Like Chandler and Hackett, he has adopted a crony system versus reaching out to talented innovators in Memphis and beyond.

This administration is spent. The only question is when will he be gone - this July or later.

Willie Herenton as the black Henry Loeb - Damn.

It's over, and the time for a graceful withdrawal has come.

Hat tip to Sharon Cobb.




After this, it doesn't matter.  She can win in Pennsylvania but it doesn't matter, her campaign will end unsuccessfully.  She still has a great career in the Senate ahead, and hopefully she'll work with the Obama administration to achieve the goals that Democrats need to achieve in order to change this country.

I don't hate her, she's been preparing for this for a long time, and I know she's going to be disappointed, but Obama needs to ignore her and focus on McCain, because she's more done than a two-hour steak at 500 degrees.

Monday, March 24, 2008

OK, enough about Herenton for the moment...

And let's get back to Leonard Cohen covers.  With deepest thanks to Aunt Kathy, here's Nina Simone's fabulous version of the Cohen classic "Suzanne" from 1969:



More on all of this stuff...

For a man who has won five terms as the Mayor of the 18th largest city in America, Willie Herenton has shown all the sensitivity of a drunken farmhand who has commandeered his boss's tractor for a joyride into to town.

I am presuming that he listens to few, if any, of his closest confidantes. For, if he did, here's how he SHOULD have handled this situation:

My fellow Memphians, I want to thank you again for returning me to office for an unprecented fifth turn, it is very humbling for me and I appreciate it. However, as you know, I have grown more concerned by the day about the Memphis City School system, which I headed for many years before becoming your Mayor. I have watched as superintendent after superintendent has come into this system with a vaunted record, used the system to pad resumes, all while our children's achievements plummet.

Therefore, after deep thought and prayer, I have decided to apply for the open position of Superintendent of the Memphis City Schools. I believe that I have an understanding of this system that no one outside it can provide, and I have the skills to make the necessary changes that it so desperately needs, and I am prepared to work with the School Board, if they are prepared to work with me.

If I am hired, I will then resign as your Mayor in order to solve the
problems that this system faces. Thank you again for your support.

Now then, do you think that the citizens of this City might have responded just a wee bit differently? Yes, there are haters, but I'm not one of them, as I remember his first two terms, which, aside from some scuffles with Harold Senior, were probably the two best terms of any Mayor in the City's history.

The Mayor's problem is that he is his own worst enemy from a PR standpoint; if he paid attention to his friend across the Mall and emulated him, he might have found that there were far less haters than he thought.

I understand that he was falsely accused of serious crimes as a youth, and the mere fact of being an imposing, intelligent black man in the South scared the living shit out of the white power structure when he was young. I cannot imagine what he went through, but he overcame it and became the first black Superintendent of MCS and then the first elected black Mayor of his hometown.

I have even forgiven him (partially, any way) for serving as co-chair of the 2002 Coordinated Democratic Campaign while privately helping Lamar Alexander, with whom he had been friends for years.

We're all past that now, Mr. Mayor. Running for a term that you DID NOT APPARENTLY WANT but doing so just to piss people off is not the action of a grown man. You know better, yet you ask us to understand that you want to go back to MCS, which apparently pays better.

You really need to think about US, Mr. Mayor, the people who stay in Memphis because they love it and know what it is capable of achieving. At one time, sir, you helped move us forward; now, you are our biggest obstacle. Please remove yourself so that we can move on, whether you can or not.

Hire me as Superintendent or I'll kill this dog!

OK, so Mr. Conspiracy used this at the Pesky Fly last week but I thought it appropriate.

The Mayor of the City of Memphis now says that if the Board of Education does not hire him as the new Superintendent of Schools, he will NOT resign as Mayor. Hmmm, a little extortion, eh?

Mayor Herenton, you DON'T want to be Mayor, why stay? Do you need money that badly? The real estate implosion killing Banneker Estates? Too bad, ace. This is nothing more than what the title implies, only think of the dog as 650,000 people (and reducing daily).

I'm through being nice: take your old ass home and count your money, unless it's shrinking, too. You're done here, you've proven your point, so take a hike and let AC or Carol or Thomas or whoever is crazy enough to try to follow you have a shot and fixing this mess.

Go, and don't let the doorknob hit ya where She split ya.
UPDATE: Here we go again. I doubt this will be any more successful than the last one, either, because the Mayor has a base that would follow him into the Mississippi River if he led them there.

How about some CONTEXT, people???

Hat tip to Katie Allison Granju at Knoxville Talks, I learned that Trinity United Church of  Christ has their own YouTube Channel and has provided this clip of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's sermon where he exclaims God Damn America.  When you hear the sermon leading up to it, you'll be saying it, too.


Sunday, March 23, 2008

An Easter Gift for you..

I confess I know little of the works of Leonard Cohen, but when I saw this at Sharon Cobb's site, I had to steal it,  Here is the legendary k.d. lang singing in Cohen's "Hallelujah".

Enjoy.



Friday, March 21, 2008

You know, I'm not going there...

Polar Donkey, however, has no fear whatsoever about going there.  So, YOU should go there if you want to read his comments about a former (and possibly future) candidate for Mayor. 

Thursday, March 20, 2008

WOW. What a day.

I was about to do a post in tribute to John Wilder, as, outside Shelby County, this, along with Belmont's near-upset of Duke, is the big story in the state today, as it should be.

However, I got an email from Bob of 55-4o fame asking me if I'd heard anything about a resignation; I replied that all I'd heard was about Wilder not running for re-election.  Then, five minutes later, VIBINC called me to drop the bombshell that HIZZONER was stepping down.

OK, it's usually over at Pesky's blog that Mr. Conspiracy shows up.  However, I'm borrowing the franchise for a moment, as VIBINC and I talked briefly about how odd it was that A) David Kustoff was bailing early as US Attorney, then B) Herenton decides to exit, either C) to return as MCS Superintendent or D) inexplicably, challenge our Congressman for the 9th District seat.

As much as he has talked about the downward plummet of MCS since he left there, I think that's what he really wants to do.  Unless, of course, he's developing senility and thinks Senior is still the Congressman, which I seriously doubt.  His skillsets are NOT suited for being a legislator, but they are for administrating, which he could do up a storm, when he chooses to do so.

Of course, no one knows what that pesky Grand Jury is going to do with that ongoing investigation of city and county government, either.  This could all be a blowing of smoke in the event an indictment of the soon-to-be ex-mayor comes down, at which point he could pronounce that those HATERS will do whatever it takes to stop him.

Well, maybe not.  I was having a discussion with one of the ladies who works on my floor about this.  She, like me, is an Obama supporter.  She, UNlike me, has supported the Mayor all along, but her conclusion: "He needs to take his old ass home and count his money".

All righty then.  It's going to get more curious every day, and all we can do is grab some popcorn, sit back and watch.

UPDATE: Jackson Baker weighs in with an excellent take on the future, and I hope he's right as usual.

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Mayor of the City of Memphis has told the Commercial Appeal that he is resigning effective July 31.

Does this have anything to do with the Grand Jury investigation, or is it just that he wanted one last electoral victory to say F--- YOU to those who wanted him out?

Here we go again!!!

In honor of Pesky's post that was in honor of Auto's post

And those were at another blog!

You wanna REALLY talk about robots, boys?

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

A Different View

In case you didn't know, I am a comic collector and fan. There usually isn't a lot of crossover in these worlds, but my favorite message board has had this up since yesterday. Go over and enjoy and see a different perspective on everything.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

UPDATE on Mike Williams

I received a call tonight from my Godfather and my Senator, who advised me that Mike Williams had taken to the Senate floor tonight after hearing about the report that he was not running for re-election, which I linked to on Monday.  

Senator Williams advised that he had repeatedly told the reporter that he had yet to decide what he wanted to do about re-election, because he himself had not decided.  He was agitated, and frankly, I think the Goopers are going to piss him off enough so that he runs.  If Mike Williams runs, he wins, because even though he left the Republicans last year, they had really moved away from him.

My deepest thanks to my Godfather and my Senator, both of whom we will re-elect to their seats this fall!

Oh, and did I mention Jake Ford filed today in the Democratic Primary for the 9th District?  Good for him; he needed to re-establish his Democratic credentials.

Monday, March 17, 2008

In honor of St. Paddy's Day

I really hope the Post is wrong

Jackson Baker alerts us to the NashvillePost.Com report (sorry, kids, subscribers only, so I'm not linking it) that Senator John Shelton Wilder (D-Mason), formerly the longest serving Lt. Governor in US history, plans to retire this week.

If this is true, we are in deep, deep, doo-doo, as Rep. Delores Gresham (R-Somerville) will be favored to win in November; she has already announced her candidacy for the District 27 seat.

This will solidify the GOP lock on the State Senate, as word from the East is that Independent Mike William of Maynardville is also looking at retirement. The combination of these events would turn a 16-16-1 Senate to an 18-15 GOP Senate, blocking ANYTHING progressive from getting through the legislature.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Why TV news is Dying: WKRN SCREWS UP BÅDLY

WKRN-TV in Nashville has made a grievous error by shutting down Volunteer Voters and relieving its tireless aggregator, AC Kleinheider, due to budget cuts.  Stupid fucks.

if you are a regular reader, you know perfectly well that VV was THE way to follow Tennessee politics, and what's more, it was one of the perfect expressions of news-gathering for the 21st Century.  Yet, like so many moronic decisions made by Corporate America, it was undoubtedly made by someone disconnected from day-to-day operations.

Though AC and I often disagreed, I have always enjoyed his writing and his perspective, and i wish there were a way to keep VV going, with or without WKRN's funding.

His work is unparalleled, and it needs to find an outlet.

This stinks.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

stAte fans, meet your new logo..



ASU NEWS RELEASE

The wait is over. Today at 11 a.m. on the east side of the Student Union, a roll-out ceremony for Arkansas State University’s newly adopted mascot, the Red Wolves, revealed the new face of ASU athletics.

The decision to bid farewell to ASU’s Indians and Indian Family was not an easy one, but it was a collaborative decision at every level. The
decision-making process was begun about a year ago in response to NCAA sanctions.

At the urging of administrators, notably ASU Chancellor Dr. Robert L
Potts, a Mascot Selection Steering Committee was appointed and charged with gathering ideas for a mascot change from an extremely broad-based constituency that included current students, alumni, representatives from student athletics, athletic administration representation, and members of the community. Jim Pickens, emeritus trustee, was appointed committee chair to oversee the process
and keep it representative of all constituencies.

Pickens remarked, “It was a pleasure playing a small role in the
future of our university, and all concerned played a significant part in helping our institution move forward. On behalf of the Mascot Selection Committee, we wish to thank the administration, Board of Trustees, and various constituencies for the trust, confidence, and support we eceived as we went about this historic process of selecting a new mascot and mark for our university. I commend the Mascot Selection ommittee for their dedication, professionalism, and hard work as we attempted to select a new mascot that is in keeping with the highest standards of our great university. Hopefully, the new mascot and imagery will serve to broaden and unify our base as together we strive for continued excellence in all aspects of our students' experience at Arkansas State
University. I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate in what I hope is a great new beginning for A-State.”

As Chancellor Potts noted at the historic Friday, March 7 ASU Board of
Trustees meeting, “on Jan. 30, the Mascot Selection Steering Committee concluded its work by recommending that ASU adopt Wolves or a variation thereof, such as Red Wolves, as the new mascot and nickname for our athletic team.” After ascertaining that the nickname “Red Wolves” was unique among four-year universities, Potts brought it before the trustees, who ratified his selection. Potts remarked, “The Red Wolf is a noble species of wolf that once inhabited Arkansas and still exists in small numbers in other states. They are vicious and very aggressive, and they run in packs. I believe that Red Wolves is the best
choice…”

ASU Board of Trustees chair Mike Gibson addressed the Mascot Selection Steering Committee’s work at the historic board meeting marking the ratification of the adoption of Red Wolves as the new mascot. Gibson noted of the committee’s recommendation to the chancellor, “It was done with class; it was done well, it was a tough job done well. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Jim Pickens, who agreed to serve as chairman of this committee and did a
wonderful job, Dr. Robert L. Potts, chancellor of the Jonesboro campus who worked so hard to bring us to this point and to those committee members who were there and offered their input…they all loved ASU…everybody wanted the best, and I feel like…you have come up with the best selection that anybody could find.” Shortly after these comments, and as the meeting broke up, Gibson led the assembled company of ASU administrators and their legal counsel, board members, and members of the media, in a rousing wolf howl, in a satisfactory conclusion of the laborious process.

Gibson and the assembled company weren’t the only ones howling with
joy. Kim Wheeler, executive director of the Red Wolf Coalition, a nonprofit conservation group based in eastern North Carolina, wrote the following message to Chancellor Potts. Wheeler wrote, “The Red Wolf Coalition, Inc., and the many supporters of red wolf conservation are thrilled and send their “howling” congratulations to ASU on your choice of the red wolf as your mascot. I have passed along your mascot announcement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program and to the captive management facilities across the United States with great enthusiasm. We consider our red wolf supporters and captive management facilities to be one big family, and we welcome the students, staff, and alumni of Arkansas State University to the family.”

Wheeler “can’t wait” to see the imagery, either, but she won’t have to
wait much longer. The team from ASU's Publications and creative Services department is ready to roll out the imagery that they created in-house for the new visage of ASU. According to Ron Looney, director, Department of Publications and Creative Services, all four of the department’s staff artists collaborated in the creation of the Red Wolves imagery. Initial sketches of the wolf mascot were created by art director Mark Reeves and designer Mary Williams. Graphic designer Heath Kelly developed a unique lettering style, and staff artist Michael Johnson assisted with conceptual suggestions and digital manipulation of the art forms. The staff then combined their efforts to create the versions necessary for production of various types of university media. The
Publications and Creative Services team look upon the project as entirely collaborative, and as a great experience for them all.

ASU will promote that ASU-generated Red Wolves imagery, according to Gleen Hart, assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions, in many ways. Hart says, “We will try to be as visible as possible with the new imagery being displayed via billboards, the student body, print material, commercials, newspaper ads, and merchandising. The new imagery will be a vital part of the new student group. We will continue to provide prizes, promotions, and incentives to increase student involvement in athletic-related activities.”

Doug Doggett, associate athletic director for external operations and Indian Club director, says that the name change, even for his own organization, “obviously represents a significant impact on the athletic program and the university. We will continue to give thorough consideration to the switch from Indian names and imagery to Red Wolves throughout the process.”

ASU’s athletic teams will begin competing as Red Wolves next fall at the beginning of the academic year.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Geraldine

Before we all criticize her, and I deeply she should be. Let me ask you all locally this, nationally, especially on Daily Kos, how many people thought Memphis was going to break more for Jr. in the Senate race because he was black?

Statements like what Ferraro has said, what Bill said in South Carolina has cost Hillary the election. As VibInc pointed out to me today, these statements have undone twenty years of good feelings Bill had built up with the African-American community. She could have won polling around 25-30% of the African-American vote. She won't now and she will start to lose super delegates unless she can get out front and repudiate these remarks either now or before she runs for reelection for Senate because she will massively vulnerable.

Whatcha doin for St. Pat's?


Crossposted from the Craichead:

I have ideas!

Legacy is returning this coming Saturday to Celtic Crossing to play for us from 3Pm-8Pm as part of the Crossing's St. Patrick's Day Weekend. it will be a great time; they recently played the North Texas irish Festival and wowed the crowd as usual.

The complete Crossing weekend is as follows:


Friday March 14
Kick Off Bash with Irish Bagpipers
DJ Aaron until close

Saturday March 15
3pm Legacy: Traditional Irish Band
Kings of the Delta at 9pm
DJ Aaron 11pm till close

Sunday March 16
Reel McCoys 11.30am
Irish Dancers 1pm
Bob & Susie Salley 3pm
West Tennessee Swappers 8pm

Monday March 17
Reel McCoys 1pm
Irish Dancers
Punching Nicholas 3pm
Bagpipes with Dave Corbett 6pm
Corn-fed Mafia 7pm
Rusty Lemon 10pm

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

I'm Not Saying This For Hillary and Elliot Butt.....

I am telling you, that he may NOT be going!

New York cable news station NY1 indicates that Eliot Spitzer is considering WHETHER to resign as Governor of the Empire State. Whether????????????????????????????

Dude, you gotta go, and as quickly as possible so David Paterson can get the state rolling. You're not going to do time (unless it's WORSE than originally reported), you'll probably just pay a fine and be suspended from your law license.

You have to go, and sooner rather than later, you're not surviving this stupidity. And, you SHOULDN'T.

Monday, March 10, 2008

What a maroon!

Is there something about becoming an executive that causes you to lose your mind? What the hell was Eliot Spitzer thinking when he hooked up with hookers?

This was a man who just a short time ago was thought to be a potential Presidential candidate, now he looks like the biggest idiot in the Empire State. He'll be lucky to finish out his term...

Saturday, March 08, 2008

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Friends, for only the second time since Illinois entered the Union in 1818, my hometown of Dixon will be represented in Congress by a DEMOCRAT!!!!!!!!!

Bill Foster knocked off goofball dairy magnate Jim Oberweis 52-48 tonight; they will face each other again in the regular election in November.  This election was to replace former Gooper 
Speaker of the House Denny Hastert in IL-14.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Elect John McCain and we'll BEAT those filthy Huns, by Jiminy!

Hat tip to Atrios, who is as baffled by this idiocy as I am...

Friday, March 07, 2008

I Don't Like Your Milkshake

I'll keep this brief and to the point. I was reading one of Steve's emails today and I got a little mad. Not at the endless courting of so-called Reagan Democrats, am I the only one who realizes these voters are over fifty and watch too much Fox News and listen to Rush and morning drive that makes fun of Hillary and Obama to make me even care about trying to court them, especially here in the South.

Second thing that made me mad. Lets face it, Hillary is running a campaign that we all knew she would. One that the Republicans will run starting in August against Obama should he win. This primary battle prepares both sides for the upcoming war. If she wins, yes she is polarizing, but the election will turn on whether or not Obama decides his ego is worth more than helping her win. If he doesn't try to get his new voters out, we will probably win, but it will be close. A lot of her voters are going to vote for him whether or not they are inspired, but he holds the key for her.

Last, we, and by that I mean all local Dems, need to come together and replace Keith Norman. I realize what happened in Binghampton affected his attendence, but he needs to be more involved then he has to this point in his chairmanship. Even Jackson called him out for a leadership style that is at best poor. We have a changing election upcoming, and we deserve a local leader that is going to be out front in the community and at the state, inspiring voters. Tennessee is in play in this election. We need a leader that is going to fight to get us a Hillary or Obama headquarters and a good deal of money. A leader that will tell Jr. to go away because he campaigns for REPUBLICANS to win.

Okay, not short, but not too long. Thoughts?

Thursday, March 06, 2008

A $120 Million OCS for UM? Are you nuts?

I posted this comment after this story at the CA:

I live in the U of M neighborhood, and this is not going to work, period. The SHC is the single largest sporting event in the City in terms of $$$, more than the Liberty Bowl, the RMKC or the Stanford-St. Jude. If we upset them, they may leave town, and that would HURT us financially.


People, the University of Memphis is an URBAN COMMUTER SCHOOL. It's NOT Harvard, Princeton, or Arkansas State, for that matter. It's not a huge school in a small town where the University means everything, it's a place where the vast majority of students are only on campus for classes and then go to their homes scattered across the counties.

I hate to say all this while Harold Byrd is fighting serious illness, as he is a good man who gives his heart to the community, but an OCS makes no sense whatsoever for the U of M when they have so many other needs, and when you consider that our legislative delegation has to force the rest of the lege to give UM money at gunpoint, this just does not work.

We are who we are.

I'm not really worried about this...

Look, folks, if it goes to Denver, it goes to Denver.  I support Barack Obama, as I think he would be far tougher to beat than Hillary Clinton.

If she wins the nomination in a fair process (FL and MI have to do re-votes), then she does and I support her, albeit not with as much passion as I would Obama.  The truth is that my Silky would be a better President than John Sydney McCain, so I am not as frenzied as the supporters of either candidate.  Hillary is not the AntiChrist, and neither is Barack, so everybody needs to chill the fuck out, OK?

Look, I understand why my friends who are elected officials got behind Hillary; they knew her and had relationships with both of them from the White House days and before and felt comfortable with them, while they had no idea who this guy Obama really was.  (Hell, I didn't either for a while).  That's cool that they support them; elected officials are not-so-trusting lot, in case you didn't notice, and they're not going to go out on a limb for someone they don't know.

Of course, this timidity in the face of a Republican hegemony is not very comforting if you're a concerned progressive voter, and this to me is why Obama has touched so many people.  He does represent hope for the future; after 8 years of a treasonous, unlawful administration, Americans ARE CRAVING HOPE.

Even if the Clinton years WERE better (and they were, economically), people realize that we're not in a position to return to that, and we may not be for a while.  We're going to need someone who can LEAD, not incrementalize, and that person is Barack Obama.

She's a manager, not a leader; if I have to settle for that, I will, but I would rather not do that and risk a Bush third term via McCain.

Flame away!

Monday, March 03, 2008

All right, I'm home, and we will be rocking this week

for the past three days, I have listed to some of the finest musicians on earth, eaten some of the best food imaginable, and ended each night around 2 AM sitting only a few feet away from dozens of these musicians play for the sheer joy of it and the highest levels possible.

So, I'm TIRED.

My rant today is at my blogging partner, Mr. Carroll, whose insidious manner of bringing me into the 21st Century, technologically speaking, may have worked at long last.  Normally, when Lauren and I take these trips by car, she breaks into her stash of 10,000 party CDs ( I only slightly exaggerate) and we listen to them en route to and from our destination.

Not so this time, as Jon had lent us his iPod while he, Pam and Jack vacationed in Florida.  Lauren prepared a mix on the iPod, set it on Shuffle, and we went to and from this marvelous festival having to do nothing but listen.  Now each of us have determined that we have to buy the damned thing, and it's YOUR fault, Jon.

Hopefully for you, I'll give it back when you get home.

In other Texas news, Hillary! had lots of people working outside the NTIF in Fair Park, Dallas on Saturday, she spoke across the walkway at the Hall of State, down't know what the crowds were like for her, because I was listening to the Battlefield Band  and the David Munnelly band, among others.  Oh yes, and my favorite Texas Scotsman (or is it Scottish Texan?) Ed Miller, who had Robert Earl Keen's favorite guitar-player, Rich Brotherton with him.

It was marvelous, and I am about to collapse.  Needless to say, I was too busy listening to music to pay attention to Texas, which Obama is going to pull out a slight win.

Enough, I'm going to bed!  More tomorrow!

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Quick note

I'll be dodging tornadoes coming home from Dallas Monday, will put up the roundup when I get home.

Hillary had a big event down here across the walkway from the North Texas Irish Festival, I think it went well.

More later from this Station!