As the Cracker becomes happily nervous or nervously happy.

Tonight, movements and negotiations take place to fulfill something I have wanted for a long time, yet I am nervous. Something I knew was always going to happen, but I'm nervous. I will soon be finding out if there IS too much of a good thing, and if two people who love each other very much yet are way too much alike can coexist and cohabitate without homicide.

Oh, and my TV's gone out.

Stay tuned.

A Command Decision has been made!

Since we are in a NEW ERA OF GOOD FEELING with the ascent of Van Turner to the SCDP Chairmanship, I have made a decision: if ANONYMOUS commenting is good enough for Kleinheider and Woods, it's good enough for me.

Anonymous commenting STAYS.

The floor is now open for innuendo and hearsay!

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?

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.

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.

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.

After swallowing my foot, I learn something...

I had called out Sean Braisted for running a Drudge item suggesting that Hillary Clinton had resorted to self-funding her campaign.

Ahem. He then produced a link to Marc Ambinder's blog at The Atlantic which CONFIRMED that HRC in fact, loaned her campaign $5 million late last month. he also noted this fundraising letter to her supporters:

From an e-mail to supporters entitled "Huge":
We had a huge night last night -- we won the biggest states and the most votes, and we are ahead in the overall race for delegates. But this race is far from over.

Voters came out in record numbers, not just to make history but to remake America. Thanks to your support and your votes, the momentum is solidly on our side.

We don't have time to catch our breath -- the next races are just three days away, and there are 10 more contests in February alone.

Let's meet this moment with bold action worthy of those who have put their faith in us. We are setting a big goal for the next three days: raise $3 million to fund our history-making campaign.

Contribute today to help us reach $3 million in three days.

After seven years of a president who listens only to the special interests,
America is ready for a president who brings your voice, your values, and your dreams to the White House.

We had a great day yesterday. Now we must keep that momentum going. You have sustained me throughout this journey, and I am calling on you again to give our campaign the resources we need to win critical
upcoming races.

I've never asked so much of you as I am now: $3 million in three days. But the need has never been so great.

Yeah, I know...

I've been a slacker this week, but I'm not alone (Jon, where are you?) and I will have more up later, I promise, really, really, I do.

I am getting more pissed off at the Democrats in Congress (excluding MY Congressman, who, with one exception, has been his usual progressive self) for being the very wimps that the VRWC says they are. They seem to forget very easily why we sent them there, to stop at every turn the corporatist policies of the Republicans who have tried to destroy everything that America stands for.

Which is why Rahm Emanuel and Steny Hoyer should be run out of the party and kept out.

Enough on that.

I want to say GREAT JOB to the Flyer for expanding their blogroll, which I have been fortunate enough to be included for some time now, there are more great local blogs than ever, and Kudos to them.

More later.

You need to read this.

My friend and co-worker EarthWindFire82 has written a thoughtful piece about the DeAunte Farrow tragedy; it is the most level-headed post about this horrible situation that I have read.

Go read it here.

More later about Trent Lott, Mike McWherter, and whatever else I feel like writing about.

The return of Aunt Esther...

I had thought Wendi Thomas had put away this nattering-nag attitude for good after she returned from Baltimore, because she was so happy to be home.

However, just when you thought it was safe to pick up the CA again, she has started a campaign to force Memphis In May to remove our local Oscar winners, Three 6 Mafia, from the Beale Street Music Festival. What idiocy.

The greatest musical acts this town has ever seen were whackjobs, and we loved them for it, because, guess what? They were entertaining!!!!!!

These kids have busted their asses, old-school, Horatio Alger-style to get where they are, and we need to APPLAUD them, not scold them like hand-wringing old biddies. Yes, I said old biddies.

Arguably, they are the most successful local musical act since Al Green left the secular world, and all Aunt Esther II wants to do is shut them down. Fortunately, MIM is not taking this lying down, telling Wendi that the shows will go on.

The CA is suggesting that we boycott the BSMF if our local boys go on stage as planned. Here's MY answer: Boycott the CA AND their website if they are successful in knocking out Three Six Mafia.

Look, hip-hop isn't really my music, but that's not the issue. I won't be at BSMF, but not because of Three Six Mafia, but because I'm 48 and not enamored of crowds like I used to be. Why does Wendi Thomas have the right to be our moral guardian anymore than DJ Paul or Frayser Boy? She DOESN'T.

Look, people, they said in the 50s that Elvis would lead teenagers to moral degradation. We all know that was Jerry Lee's job, any way! (Just Kidding!) They said it about the Beatles, hell, they said it about Teddy Pendergrass in the 70s, and I'll bet anyone that Wendi has had her private moments with Teddy's music, so, she needs to back off and let kids be kids.

It's not our music, and, as Pete Townshend once said, it's not SUPPOSED to be.