Brown thrasher foraging, hungry mouths to feed

Chris Kromm is tracking reports of robo-calls in NC that may be attempts at identity theft but more likely aimed at voter suppression (see here).

Also, the latest foreclosure reports are out, and the U.S. housing market continues its downward spiral.

Chris Kromm has an interesting report about North Carolina's new same day registration and voting system.

(While you're over there, take a look at my post today about unemployment around the South.)

Check out Tax Day by the Numbers by Sue over at Facing South.

See also Sue's post on the Texas polygamist sect's federal contracts.

(And while you're over there, see my post about the recent "Dying for Coverage" report.)

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is likely to move its research on one of the most contagious animal diseases from an isolated island laboratory to the U.S. mainland near herds of livestock, raising concerns about a catastrophic outbreak.

A new facility at Plum Island is technically a possibility. Signs point to a mainland site, however, after the administration spent considerable time and money scouting new locations. Also, there are financial concerns about operating from a location accessible only by ferry or helicopter.

Somehow this doesnt surprise me. The goverment is worried about "substantial money" (nevermind the fact that the administration has supported a soon to be trillion dollar war in Iraq) already spent scouting out different mainland locations for the new facility, so it is a 'done deal'? Being told that they can now control the virus/sterilization etc...much better than they could when the Plum Island facility was originally built doesnt instill confidence in me or the thousands of farmers who could see their herds destroyed.

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.

School Block Challenge exhibition closes Monday, March 24 at the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society, The National Quilt Museum, in Paducah, KY.

Around the Block
by Amber Nix, Sarah Specter
and Rosie Pritchard of West Chester, OH

An astounding 133 blocks from 32 schools in seven states were entered in the Museum of the American Quilter's Society's annual School Block Challenge, a national competition for students in grades K - 12

An exhibition of all quilt blocks will be on exhibit through March 24. A narrative about each block's design and development submitted by the students is also being exhibited. You can see other quilts that are on display at the museum by visiting the National Quilt Museum's page on Art Museum Tourinb.com (Link...).

Support your local museums and galleries! They are economic engines for your community.

Sherrie

David Houston, Chief Curator of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans will present a public slide talk titled After the Storm; a Post Apocalyptic View of New Orleans Culture on Wednesday, March 5, 7 PM, in room 109 of the Art and Architecture Building. Houston is the juror for the upcoming "Concept/Execution", The University of Tennessee’s 61st Annual Student Art Competition, which will be on view at the UT Ewing Gallery from March 11-27, 2008. For more information about Mr. Houston and the upcoming exhibition at the Ewing visit their page on Art Museum Touring.com (Link...).

Sherrie

Florida State Representative Don Brown has introduced a bill (HB 1007) to create a Confederate Heritage license plate. Brown's district is in the panhandle, nestled right next to the Alabama border.

George Diaz has written a commentary to oppose the Confederate tag.

And while it is proper to mourn all the brothers and sisters of past generations who died, you don't do it by flaunting one of the defining symbols of racism.

Check out the comments for this article. From near (Orlando) and far (Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio), many speak up to continue their defense of the Confederate flag.

Sorry, George, but this demonstrates your complete ignorance. The Civil War was about state's rights - the right of a state to govern itself.

Yeah, states rights, that's what it was about, uhuh. That's the ticket.

Now, I don't reckon if y'all are true Southerners y'all should take offense to this. Just a little Sunday humor.

Don't know where it originated. If y'all know, keep me informed...

The North has Bloomingdales, the South has Dollar General.

The North has coffee houses, the South has Waffle Houses.

FOR NORTHERNERS MOVING SOUTH . . .

If you hear a Southerner exclaim, "Hey, y'all, watch this", you should stay out of the way. These are likely to be the last words he'll ever say.

For the entire thang, keep readin' after the break.

The Clinton 12 documentary is on right now on East Tennessee Public Television. It started a few minutes ago, and will re-air Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

This shows, both that my wife has a far better imagination than I do and that she buys much better Xmas gifts. I got her an appliance. (a durn good one mind you) She got me a license plate. Took a while to get but I put it on my truck today. The real shocker is that in Louisiana there is already someone wth the plate "TROLL" Go figure.

Apologies for linking my own story, but this one features one of the smartest, best people I know. What she's doing this winter could make history.

Link...

My latest commentary at Facing South...

And while you're over there at Facing South, read this report on human rights in New Orleans for a reminder of how real people are still suffering while the nation is distracted by the sport of presidential politics.

This is an email I got from the Dem Senatorial Committee:

Dear Elizabeth M. ,

Just 18 days into 2008, and we already have the first great news of the year.

In Mississippi, Republican Governor Haley Barbour has been trying to circumvent the state's constitution and delay the special election to replace retired Sen. Trent Lott until November. Earlier this week, the state courts shot down this plan and ordered a special election on or before March 19. The case is being appealed to the state Supreme Court, so the situation is still very fluid.

Why do Haley Barbour and Trent Lott want to delay this election? Because they're worried they're going to lose.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is moving the business from St. Petersburg, FL to San Francisco, CA.

St. Petersburg was an accidental choice for Wikimedia, Wales said. It was a cheap place to live for Wales as he worked on Wikipedia, but he said the lack of tech talent made it hard to continue there.
...
Although he was coy about immediate plans for Wikimedia upon its move to San Francisco, he said there is one thing that is certain for Wikimedia's employees.

"We'll be eating at more interesting restaurants now," he said.

Monks, Nudes, and Rollerskates: Life Begins at 40. Purchase it online at monksbook.com. (Hardcover. ISBN: 978-0-980055306 Rocket Squirrel Press)

“When some men hit the middle age crazies, they quit their jobs, buy red convertibles, divorce, and marry trophy wives half their years. James Cortese took a different route, economically and matrimonially, by following his dreams in real-life flights of fancy. What’s more, he did it during the Ozzie and Harriet 1950s–when “respectable working men” (if, ahem, newspaper columnists are included in such lofty circles) were supposed to be above this kind of nonsense.

Cortese’s fun-to-read book chronicles his adventures all over the map: everything from swimming across the Mississippi River, to playing Beethoven in the Grand Canyon, to roller-skating through Texas and much more, all culminating with his appearance on the CBS quiz show, To Tell The Truth.

Walter Mitty, eat your heart out.”

–Sam Venable, Columnist,Knoxville News Sentinel

more after the jump...

The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169) would reverse the Bush Administration’s 2002 decision that the toxic “waste” created by mountaintop removal could be defined as “fill material,” and recklessly dumped into our water ways. This practice has already destroyed over 1200 miles of American headwater streams, and eliminated access to safe, clean potable water for many communities. The CWPA (HR 2169) currently has 107 co-sponsors, and a lot of momentum. But we need more to get out of committee and onto the floor.

We have 3 of 5 Democrats from TN onboard, and we need to know if Lincoln Davis, Bart Gordon, and John Tanner are “wit’ us” or “ginst us” on stopping mountaintop removal.

If you have a moment, please take a moment to call Davis (202-225-6831), Gordon (202-225-4231), and Tanner (202-225-4714), politely but forcefully asking that they co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), and take a stand against mountaintop removal.

A quick report on our TN Dems and mountaintop removal below…

We're drying up around here.

USA Today reports: Through September, it is the region's driest year in 113 years of record-keeping. In five of the six worst-hit states, rain totals this year are close to a foot below normal.

The print edition also states the Tennessee River flow is about half or normal and thousands of trees [in Tennessee] have died from lack of water.

According to The Daily Times, Alcoa and Maryville are scrambling to access more water.

I hear it is going to rain today. Do a dance!

There will be a public meeting next Wednesday at Pellissippi St TCC on Hardin Valley Rd regarding the August draft environmental impact statement published by the Office of Surface Mining, and the comment period, originally to end October 23, has been extended to November 23.

This was announced October 10, and I missed the news, which means I got the date wrong in my Metro Pulse column published today and missed a chance to publicize the meeting. My regrets!

At least now you have more time to send a letter.

Public hearing on environmental impact statement on stream buffer zone rule

Goins Auditorium
Pellissippi St TCC
10915 Hardin Valley Rd
off Pellissippi Parkway between West Knox and Oak Ridge

Public comment period extended until November 23

David Hartos, OSMRE
3 Parkway Center
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
412-937-2909
dhartos@osmre.gov

Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat, recommended in a memo that staffers get immunized before visiting NASCAR races in The South.

the staffers' itinerary for the Talladega race shows the only medical facilities they toured were a mobile emergency hospital with no patients present and stations for minor first-aid.

On the other hand, maybe fear will keep everyone away from our Southern paradise. Nah, I doubt it. We can try though. It really sucks down South. We got heat, humidity, big bugs, deadly waterways, swamps (versus bogs and marshes), and fat people. Stay away, very far away. It is dangerous down here.

Apparently there is a real scarcity of dogs available for adoption in the New England states. That is such wonderful news! As a kindly gesture they have been importing dogs from way down yonder in the South. They call them "Dixie dogs". From a shelter website in Greenfield MA:

Rumor has it that the next Republican US senators to be outed will be Mitch "Miss" McConnell and Lindsey "Lindsey" Graham. Like Larry Craig, these two apparently have fun in private but curry favor with the "Religious" Right by bashing gays with their legislative votes. I understand that Larry Flynt and others are already at work digging up evidence.

Link...

Responding to Bob Herbert's column calling out the GOP on racism, Sen. Macaca's former mouthpiece defends St. Ronnie's infamous 'States' Rights' speech in Philadelphia, MS by noting that the Neshoba County Fairgrounds isn't actually in Philadelphia.

In search of the facts surrounding what has now become a media circus involving what no one disputes is an ugly situation in Jena Louisiana, I found there are many differing and obviously biased reports coming from both camps.

Googling through the usual variety of articles, I came upon a Snopes' report of the issue. Link... I usually like Snopes because so much of what we get through the media turns out to crap, but I was sort of surprised that they decided to include the Jena 6 issue as an urban myth based on what appeared to be (from reading the Snopes' commentary) only two challenged facts. Does that put the Jena 6 incident into the urban myth catagory?

Actually we are about 30 miles southeast of the eye right now. Yesterday morning it was a little disturbed weather in the Gulf; Went to bed expecting a rainy tropical storm, woke up at 3:00 turned on the tube and the first thing I saw was Hurricane Humberto update. OH CRAP! Not bad here though, 40 mph winds and a lot of rain. Told my mother in Dante last night that I would try to send some of this rain her way.
Main point is I am sure glad that Global Warming is a farce. These things might get quick and bad if the Gulf waters were any warmer.

As election season starts to heat up, Atrios points to this site, run by the Louisiana Democratic Party.

It's a link-a-palooza for the writings of GOP candidate and current Louisiana Congressman Bobby Jindal, who is running for the office of governor *.

Political hardball. Ouch. It's getting ugly early.

(My observation: Not to question anyone's religious sincerity, but it is nigh impossible to win state-wide in Loozian' if'n you're not Catlick. I doubt Katrina changed that.)

* He's running [comfortably ahead] for governor on the GOP ticket just like he did in 2004, although the support he got from C. Ray Reagan Nagin (D-Mayor, New Orleans) failed to put Jindal past eventual winner, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.

I've never heard of this before

The Tennessee Valley Authority shut down one of three units at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant on Thursday because water drawn from a river to cool the reactor was too hot, a spokesman said.

According to the article, the river is at least 90F.

Did anyone notice that it's hot outside?

Facing South's Chris Kromm is in New Orleans checking up on the progress there as we near the two year anniversary of Katrina. His report is not encouraging.