Looks like Cindy might have been out-of-sorts yesterday and taken it out on Mrs. Obama.

The first link I posted has disappeared behind the subscribers' curtain, but this one seems to work:

Link...

Federal charges may soon be forthcoming for the three self-described "Christian" men who sprayed [illiterate] racist graffiti upon and later firebombed a Middle Tennessee mosque:

The call came in to the Columbia, Tennessee 911 call center at 5:20 on the morning of February 9. A fire was raging at the Islamic Center. When local police arrived a few minutes later, they found the broken glass of a door and heavy dark smoke billowing out of a broken window. At the scene, the officers also discovered a black swastika painted on the front of the building, along with two black swastikas and "We run the wold" (sic) and "White Power" painted on the side.

Later the same day, law enforcement officers arrested three local residents: Eric Ian Baker, 32, Michael Corey Golden, 23, and Jonathan Edward Stone, 19. The three men are accused of using empty beer bottles filled with gasoline and rags to set fire to the storefront mosque. They face federal charges of unlawful possession of a destructive device and state charges of arson.

According to the criminal complaint filed in federal court, at least two of the perpetrators of the arson and vandalism of the mosque were Christian Identity Movement adherents. (See the affidavit here.)

Christian Identity is a racist and anti-Semitic religious doctrine which teaches that European whites and their American descendants are the Biblical "chosen people,” while Jews are the literal descendants of Satan and that people of color are subhuman. It has been the theological glue binding together neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan devotees, militia members and others into the white nationalist movement.

Eric Rudolph and Buford O'Neal Furrow are a couple of other "Christian Identity" names you might recognize.

For those wishing to donate to the rebuilding fund for the mosque...

Community First Bank and Trust
501 S James Campbell Blvd.
Columbia, TN 38401
931-380-2265
Islamic Center of Columbia Rebuilding Fund
Account Number: 0026123

Let's say you had two local governments, side by side. One was well-organized, generally efficient, with characteristics that led to lower taxes, better services, and equitable processes for the redress of grievances.

The other government had public officials ignoring term limits to remain in office, offering up self-serving tax subsidies to big box corporations in the form of unneeded tax increment financing (TIFs) that ended up taking money out of the school system by artificially reducing the true tax base of the government to the state. Government officials here wasted money on lavish dinners on government credit cards, threatened residents with property tax increases if they didn't vote for a wheel tax on their registered vehicles, and provided grant dollars to nonprofit organizations run by their own families.

Could the viability of each of these governments culturally find themselves subject to Darwin's process of natural selection, where one is more likely to culturally adapt, survive, and prosper than the other?

A new Stanford University study shows that human culture may be subject to natural selection.

Don't think I've ever seen this before--Knox County Schools closed Thursday AND Friday due to the high number of teachers out ill?

Link...

WBIR

His childish act: sending his wife to pay their property tax bill with $1,700 in golden Sacagawea Dollars. [..] On several of the $25 coin rolls, the Fields wrote a message aimed directly at the county mayor, saying "For Ragsdale Tip Money."

(By way of reader email. See also: KAG)

• WATE has live streaming video.

• KNS is live blogging.

• WBIR is live blogging.

• Lisa Starbuck is live blogging here at KnoxViews

• Steve Drevik is live blogging at his Reform4 blog.

I'm here live blogging the historic appointment meeting today.

Congratulations to new 2nd District appointee Mark Campen and 9th District appointee Victoria DeFreese, both of which will be EXCELLENT commissioners!

This place is pretty full, a few empty seats and a whole string of folks lined up against the back windows. Lots of familiar faces.

Pretty impassioned discussion going on here about the possible appointment of someone (Sam McKenzie) who is still in the election.

We're getting to the fireworks in First District now, come join the fun.

Link....

I can't wait until we get to the Fifth and Sixth....

This evening a total eclipse of the moon will start at 10pm and last about an hour. Read more about it at NASA.

Watching the results come in . . .

Ron McMahan, editor of the Knoxville Journal in the '80s, passed away Tuesday morning.

Ron was editor during the paper's Gannett ownership, then bought it himself. He was a throwback, old-school newsman who also served as Howard Baker's press secretary during the Watergate years.

He told the best stories of anybody. I wish he'd written a book.

Ron was a big, gruff guy who could sometimes be absolutely infuriating, but working for him was a privilege for which I will always be grateful. It was so much fun I couldn't believe I was getting paid.

Link...

Link...

The exhibition Erratum: Works by Heather D. Freeman closes this coming Sunday the 24th at the University Art Gallery at Sewanee: The University of the South in Sewanee, TN.

If you go to see the exhibition, take the time to look at the chapel and see its beautiful stained glass windows. It is just like visiting an English church. You can see other pictures from the exhibition on the Sewanee page on Art Museum Touring.com (Link...). The Sewanee page has a GoogleMap to make it easy to find.

In addition to my blogs, Art Museum Touring.com sends out an email art newsletter and updates. Any of you art junkies that would like to be included email here at my blog.

Support your local museums! They are economic engines for your communities.

-Sherrie