This would be an interesting group.

This week is National Park Week (April 19-27). The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation sponsor National Park Week to "honor America's natural beauty and cultural heritage" (by Presidential proclamation).

The first National Park, Yellowstone, was established on March 1, 1872 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Act which set aside two million acres "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

In March, 1964, Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock from Columbus, OH, set out to fly around the world in an 11 year old single-engine Cessna. On April 17, 1964, she completed the trip.

The first woman to fly around the world. And, she did it wearing a skirt.

There were no statues of Jerrie Mock. No movies were made. Mrs. Mock is not even in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Jerrie Mock is still alive at 88, living in Florida, with not much recognition of her wonderful feat. Her plane is now in a Smithsonian satellite facility at Dulles International Airport.

I wouldn't have *minded* answering this questionnaire, you understand, but I really would have needed an attorney's help to do it and I didn't have one at my elbow. Survey received earlier this month read as follows:

Good afternoon. I write the Knoxville Gun Rights Examiner Column. Would you please be so kind to answer the following questions for publication?

ALEC?

NY Times ...

While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.

After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.

The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest

Earth Day Network: Over One Billion People Take Part in Earth Day

This year Earth Day Network is focusing on Green Cities. On Earth Day and throughout the year, cities are working with their communities to catalyze a transition to a more sustainable future through efficiency upgrades, investment in renewable energy, and regulation reform. 

As part of the campaign, Earth Day Network is working directly with cities across the US - from Jackson, Mississippi to Santa Fe, New Mexico - to implement sustainable programs and policies at the local level.

In Knoxville, celebrate Earth Day at Knoxville’s 15th annual EarthFest. The one day festival will take place on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at World’s Fair Park in downtown Knoxville. EarthFest is a free, zero-waste event with educational exhibits, kids’ activities, food and live entertainment for the whole family, including pets.

Along with nearly 100 exhibitors and attractions, attendees will also have the opportunity to take part in an EarthFest educational scavenger hunt. Participants will get their scavenger hunt player card stamped as they answer questions at select vendor booths around the festival. Once completed, participants will be entered to win a grand prize and other giveaways going on every hour.

More info...

So I get this email from the DCCC (that went straight to my spam folder because I have filters, but you can read it after the break) warning me about all the terrible things that are going to happen to My State, Tennessee, if the Paul Ryan budget passes (fat chance, but whatever). And please sign our petition and oh by they way can you throw us a couple of bucks?

Sleeping giant

The percentage of Tennessee’s legislature that is female has consistently lagged behind the national average for the last 20 years, and has never been higher than 19%.

Women’s Representation in Tennessee

Representation 2020

Emerge America

The other Kentucky women posing a threat to Republicans

inBloom website front page:

The use of technology to tailor instruction for individual students is still an emerging concept and inBloom provides a technical solution that has never been seen before. As a result, it has been the subject of mischaracterizations and a lightning rod for misdirected criticism. In New York, these misunderstandings led to the recent passage of legislation severely restricting the education department from contracting with outside companies like inBloom for storing, organizing, or aggregating student data, even where those companies provide demonstrably more protection for privacy and security than the systems currently in use.

We stepped up to the occasion and supported our partners with passion, but we have realized that this concept is still new, and building public acceptance for the solution will require more time and resources than anyone could have anticipated. Therefore, in full alignment with the inBloom Board of Directors and funders, I have made the decision to wind down the organization over the coming months. It wasn’t an easy decision, and the unavailability of this technology is a real missed opportunity for teachers and school districts seeking to improve student learning.

SEE ALSO: NYT Bits Blog

Join me for an evening of fun as we celebrate the kickoff of my campaign for state executive committee-man for Senate district 6 for the Tennessee Democratic party!

What: Campaign Party and Kickoff for Cameron Brooks
When: Saturday, April 26th, 2014- 6- 9 pm
Where: 500 Surrey Road, Knoxville, TN 37915

RSVP at any of the following links (not required, just helps us get a head count)-

Eventbrite

Facebook Event

Also, check out our website at (link...) !

The News-Sentinel is currently carrying an article (first story, top of the home page) with this headline: Powdered alcohol gets thumbs-up from U.S. regulators. The article is by Matt Picht, Newsy.com.

Let's see how this plays out.

TEA's recap here.

Onward!

Betty Bean in the Shopper:

Remember when:  

Knox County Commission meetings were punctuated by long and frequent recesses so the boys could go out back to smoke and return with done deals?  

Mike Arms served two years on county commission while he was chief of staff to county Mayor Mike Ragsdale and nobody said squat?  

County commissioners figured they could pick their successors after a judge booted them out of office for ignoring a term-limits referendum for 13 years?

So Black Wednesday wasn’t all bad. But Jan. 31, 2007, still lives in local infamy, and Knox newcomers who find the term a bit overwrought are probably wondering what, exactly, it was about. And what was the big deal about some old ex-sheriff?

Read more at the link about how Black Wednesday still resonates in the upcoming election. (See also: Sandra Clark.)

FLASHBACK: LIVE: County Commission appoints replacements

ARCHIVES: Knox County Charter and Term Limits Controversy

BONUS TRIVIA: How to get excused from jury duty

For at least the third time this year, KUB has had water mains break in or near downtown Knoxville.

On January 8, 2014, it was reported a water main broke outside the Tennessee Supreme and Appellate courts building on Main Street. The courts were required to close because the building uses water for heating.

On April 2, 2014, a large water main broke at the intersection of State Street and Main Street. Roads were closed for several days and the John H. Coleman Company building was heavily damaged.

This morning, April 21, 2014, a water main broke at the intersection of Neyland Drive and Leinard Lane, flooding Neyland Drive. Leinard Lane is just east of the UT Gardens.

Infrastructure problems?

MSNBC …

• The average MRI scan cost eight times more in the United States than in Switzerland ($1,145 versus $138).

• Americans paid nine times more than Canadians ($896 versus $97) for an abdominal CT scan.

• A bypass operation cost nearly five times more in the U.S. than in the Netherlands ($75,345 versus $15,742)….

This might all make sense if Americans were getting higher-quality treatments or superior outcomes – but we’re not. “The price variations bear no relation to health outcomes,” said Tom Sackville, IPHP’s chief executive. “They merely demonstrate the relative ability of providers to profiteer at the expense of patients.”

A mecca for overpriced medicine

International Federation of Health Plans

ariation in Medical and Hospital Prices by Country

Click image for bigger...

As I was passing a park with a pond in Maryville I noticed some ducks running around. I stopped for a look and noticed there were six or more male ducks chasing a single female duck. She would run down the hill to the pond, then turn around and run up the hill, then turn around again and run down the hill. It was quite amusing.

This ties very nicely into John Bohstedt's talk last week at "Books Sandwiched In." What do you think about this issue?

(link...)

Please help spread the word -

I'm looking for local musicians and their supporters to band together (pardon the pun) to encourage local businesses to adopt this practice in Knox County. If you're interested, please contact me via private message or email (no phone calls, please - my phone is unreliable at the moment and I'm shopping for a new one).

Yahoo Finance …

The complex study examined 1,779 public policy issues between 1981 and 2002, including the policy preferences of middle-income people, the wealthy, and interest groups such as lobbying organizations, unions, and membership associations like AARP. The researchers then isolated instances when a policy change actually took place, to figure out who, essentially, got their way.

Many of us like to believe that popular opinion influences policymakers, at least indirectly. So ordinary voters may be dismayed to hear that “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy."

The astounding power of "economic elites"

Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens

Since I've been thinking a lot about technology lately, wondered if anyone has any thoughts on this:

(link...)?