is what Obama said true?

At a time when we're facing the largest homecoming since the Second World War," Obama said of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, "the true test of our patriotism is whether we will serve our returning heroes as well as they've served us."

Just a quick Google search on the Vietnam war:

1968. U.S. strength in South Vietnam totaled more than 500,000 by early 1968.

January, February, March, 1972. U.S. troop strength in Vietnam dropped to 136,500 by 31 January 1972, to 119,600 by 29 February, and then to 95,500 by the end of March.

What if I Googled the Korean War?

Etc., etc., etc....

The print edition of the Knoxville News Sentinel is now the same cute size as the Maryville Daily Times, 11 inches wide.

In a recent Newsweek, The Last Word, column George Will wrote:

You [Obama] favor eliminating the cap on earnings subject to the 12.4 percent Social Security tax, which now covers only the first $102,000. A Chicago police officer married to a Chicago public-school teacher, each with 20 years on the job, have a household income of $147,501, so you would take another $5,642 from them. Are they undertaxed? Are they rich?

Doesn't George know that social security is not paid jointly?

Geez, I just can't believe what some of these "reporters" report.

The state looks a lot like the America of a bygone era: overwhelmingly white, largely rural, and proudly blue-collar.

Just a quick peek at how this really looks around the US.

Regarding white and rural, what about Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Iowa, Maine, Oregon?

Regarding blue-collar workers, Wyoming has the highest percentage of blue-collar workers (14.8), then West Virginia (12.3). Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, all are within 1 percentage point (11.3 to 11.7) of West Virginia's percentage (12.3) of blue-collar workers. All of these states are pretty darn rural as well.

Is it just because West Virginia is East of the Mississippi and not considered "The South"? Is it because West Virginia is bordered by those oh so sophisticated states of Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania?

$3.57/gal at the entrance to the Montgomery Village low income housing development.

$3.49/gal (8 cents cheaper) near the middle class Arrowhead Subdivision.

The NY Times Magazine Green Issue (April 20, 2008) has a small article on the walkability of communities.

Check your neighborhood's Walk Score.

A few I checked in KTown:

Wall Avenue = 91

Forest Park at Southerland Ave. = 77

Island Home (one of my old stomping grounds) = 23
(Note: I suspect that years ago it used to have a much higher walking score)

Blount County

Harper Avenue (Downtown Maryville) = 88

Eagleton Village = 42

Alcoa's Springbrook neighborhood = 17

The cost of neighborhood supermarkets may contribute to the decline of walkability in neighborhoods, according to this NY Times article via Atrios.

or a kinder, gentler vandalism.

A New York food company is recalling more than 286,000 pounds of meat and poultry because it might be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

Thirty-five different products that "were sent to food service and retail establishments nationwide" are listed in the recall.

That's a lot of meat/poultry product. Personally, I'm not familiar with these products. Of course, if deli chains use these products I might be in trouble and not know it.

The Army Corps of Engineers can be held liable for flood damage caused by a "hurricane highway," a navigation channel that is believed to have funneled Hurricane Katrina's storm surge into the city, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Let's hope this ruling stands and the Army Corps of Engineers is held accountable. Ah, if only the COE would spend as much time and money on doing their job right the first time as they do in the courts defending their actions.

The U.S. military death toll hit a seven-month high of 50 on Wednesday — with more than half the losses in Baghdad as American forces wage growing street battles against Shiite fighters.

4,063 deaths since the beginning of the war, March, 2003.

Bush wants an "indefinite suspension of troop withdrawals."

Republicans remain almost unanimously opposed to any required withdrawal timeline, but they supported opening the debate because they want to draw attention to the decreased violence and other military progress in Iraq since the United States sent an additional 30,000 U.S. troops there last year.

At least some people are not losing focus and are still trying to stop the war.

The Daily Telegraph today unveils its list of the 50 most influential political pundits to help readers sort through whose opinions matter. These are the people who make voters sit up and take notice. They are the ones who political candidates and campaigns are constantly seeking to woo and influence. They include television presenters, newspaper columnists, bloggers and talking heads.
...
Many important journalists have been left out because they portray themselves as objective and seek to inform rather than persuade.

Actually, today they list numbers 31-50. They will publish the remaining as the week progresses.

Rachel Maddow makes number 50. She has skyrocketed to fame in the past year on Air America and now MSNBC. Rachel's great. She's able to take what the boys dish out.

Mary Matalin at 49 probably was a bigger force in previous elections.

Dee Dee Myers at number 39? I like her a lot but haven't seen a lot of her this election cycle.

Fox News contributors, Juan Williams (31), William Kristol (32), Newt Gingrich (36), Michael Barone (38), Tony Snow (40), and Fred Barnes (45).

Elizabeth Edwards asks the press to help the voters of North Carolina and the country to discuss the issues so that informed decisions can be made.

But I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture.
...
Who is responsible for the veil of silence over Senator Biden? Or Senator Dodd? Or Gov. Tom Vilsack? Or Senator Sam Brownback on the Republican side?

The decision was probably made by the same people who decided that Fred Thompson was a serious candidate.

Will the media listen? Do they care? Will the story be about her bitterness that John is not longer a candidate? It's the economy stupid. It's about paying for decent healthcare. It's about our soldiers dying in Iraq. It's about the billions of dollars spent in Iraq while our infrastructure is crumbling and American citizens are not asked to sacrifice but given money to go shopping.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for trying.

Knoxville's Farmers' Market starts back up today, April 26, 2008.

Market Square in Downtown Knoxville
10 AM to 2 PM.

Get there early for the best selections.

In fury and despair, patients harmed by Lasik eye surgery told federal health advisers Friday of severe eye pain, blurred vision and even a son's suicide. The advisers recommended that the government warn more clearly about the risks of the hugely popular operations.
...
And while the vast majority benefit — most see 20-20 or even better — about one in four people who seeks Lasik is not a good candidate. A small fraction, perhaps 1 percent or fewer, suffer serious, life-changing side effects: worse vision, severe dry eye, glare, inability to drive at night.

Eye surgery so I don't have to wear glasses sends chills up my spine, but then I'm not one to have ever worn contact lenses either.

Be careful out there. Don't be sold. Do your homework.

Who's their audience? Young people, baby boomers, or just liars?

U.S. rice futures soared to an all-time high Wednesday as investors bet that surging world demand will continue to pressure already dwindling stockpiles.

Apparently some people are very picky about their rice. Imported jasmine, basmati and long grain white rice seem to be the choice for the rice aficionado.

Relentless demand from developing countries and poor crop yields have pushed rice prices up 70 percent so far this year, raising concerns of severe shortages of the staple food consumed by almost half the world's population.

The steep increases have followed similar jumps in the price of wheat, corn and soybeans that have added to Americans' growing grocery bill and led to violent food riots in poor countries including Haiti, Senegal and Pakistan.

Lucky me. I'm more of a potatoes person. Potatoes can be grown in my back yard.

I guess positive reinforcement doesn't work.

Passover is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

Hag Simea'h! from Sharon Cobb.

Then we eat the most amazing meal one can imagine. We drink four glasses of wine during the service, so you're drunk and stuffed. Not a bad holiday.

Happy holiday! We'll toast you all when drinking our wine this evening.

I spotted a Honda Insight in Alcoa yesterday. Even though I could not see any hybrid label I knew by the look (different, weird, ugly, whatever) it had to be a hybrid. Honda stopped making the Insight in 2006.

This summer Honda is introducing the FCX Clarity hydrogen car to the U.S. Initially it will only be available in selected locations in California, i.e. Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.

Honda has to make fueling stations readily available. They are also working on home energy stations. Although, I suppose it could be a problem in the future to be dependent on natural gas.

Check out the reviews from The New York Times and USA Today.

What are US car companies doing? I still can't find a Ford Escape Hybrid and they seem to be even less available than they were a couple of months ago in the larger market areas, e.g. Atlanta, Orlando, etc.

In general, the odds of being happy increased 5 percent with every 10 years of age.

Overall, about 33 percent of Americans reported being very happy at age 88, versus about 24 percent of those age 18 to their early 20s. And throughout the study years, most Americans reported being very happy or pretty happy. Less than 20 percent said they were not too happy.

Another reason to look on the bright side as we age. We'll be happier! Of course, my generation, baby boomers, seem to have a little trouble letting go of our goals and ambitions which can lead to unhappiness.

Are you ready? It's time again for Clinton and Obama to answer some questions.

ABC News, the National Constitution Center and WPVI-TV will host a Democratic Presidential Candidate debate in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 16. The live debate, which is scheduled to run 90 minutes, will be moderated by ABC News anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos and will air from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT on the ABC Television Network.

I'm excited. I just can't wait to see how George Stephanopoulos will be as a moderator.

The Dogwood Arts Festival on Market Square is being held this week, April 11-13.

My Mother and I went yesterday to beat the crowds and the weather. It was a beautiful day even with the wind.

Good art, good food, good music, good people...

More photos after the break.

Enjoy!

Don Dare's on the job. WATE reporting the Cracker Barrel at Park West Boulevard (Cedar Bluff) received a 55 (out of 100) on the health department inspection.

Man, I shouldn't read these reports. It makes you want to never go out to eat again. It's been a long time since I've worked in a restaurant, and I've never worked in the kitchen, but I do have to wonder how many restaurants just miss getting bad scores depending on the day and time of the health department visits.

Watching golf can be a little slow. Watching The Masters is different. Normally the course is gorgeous and I believe this year it is the norm.

Through Sunday, April 13.

Trevor Immelman (?) is currently in the lead. Tiger Woods is tied with several others for 22nd place (1 over par).

South Korea paid Russia $20 million to get their first astronaut (participant) in space. Yi So-yeon, a South Korean bioengineer, was picked from 36,000 applicants. She was actually South Korea's second pick. Ko San made a boo boo and, alas, he was replaced.

The Soyuz flight also marked a milestone for the mission commander, Volkov, who became the first second-generation astronaut or cosmonaut to reach space.

Volkov's father, Alexander Volkov, is a decorated cosmonaut from the Soviet era. On his last journey, he left Earth as a Soviet citizen and returned as a citizen of the new Russian Federation, following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Pretty cool.

Passengers on American Airlines found themselves facing confusion and long delays on Wednesday after the carrier canceled more than 1,000 flights, as its efforts to inspect and in some cases reattach wiring bundles in the wheel wells of its 300-plane fleet of MD-80s dragged on.

More cancellations are expected Thursday.

Oh, my... I do believe attached wiring bundles might be important, but what do I know. Glad I don't have a trip planned that requires a flight.

A trade association and a tourism group came up with the Alabama Wine Trail to lure visitors to the state's eight wineries, which produce everything from fruity muscadine and peach wines to more traditional varieties such as merlot and chardonnay.
...
A Baptist leader in neighboring Chilton County said his group opposed plans for a winery there and doesn't like the idea of luring tourists to his home turf or anywhere else in Alabama to imbibe.

Heathens, I say! They're heathens!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has increased its surveillance of Louisiana's Mississippi River levees as the swollen river continues to rise.
...
"We don't expect any problems in the (levee) system," he said.

Hah! Sad to say, the Army Corps of Engineers has lost a lot of credibility. I pray the levees hold and there are no problems in Louisiana. However, the Corps of Engineers doing their "job" probably doesn't give much confidence to the citizens of that area.

Rain rain go away.
Come again some other day.

I remember sitting at the window as a child singing this little ditty hoping the rain would stop. I kinda felt like this today. Such weird trivia available on the net.

Notes from discussion after the jump...