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Sunday, February 14, 2010Was Amy Bishop a Socialist?| By John Norris Brown | That’s the word going around the blogosphere, based on one posting from Rate my Professors. Who the heck cares if she was? Unless there’s some evidence that politics was a motive in the shooting, I don’t see why it should matter what some madwoman’s politics were. There’s something seriously wrong with people whose first reaction to tragedy is to try to find a way to smear their opponents. Posted at 4:26 pm in Category: American Politics | | Wednesday, February 10, 2010Temperance Returns| By John Norris Brown | The moralists are at it again:
My advice to Rep. Todd? Butt out and get a life. I do agree that it’s bad to have unenforced laws on the books, but think these laws should be changed/repealed. Posted at 11:01 pm in Category: Random | | Nashville is No Longer Talking| By John Norris Brown | As you may have heard, Nashville is Talking is going dark. To be honest, it had long been a shell of its former self, but nevertheless, it’s sad to see it go. In the good old days, when Britney Gilbert was at the helm, it really was a local treasure. Once upon a time, Tennessee bloggers had a close knit community. It seemed everyone read everyone else’s blog and commented and linked. That was due in large part to NiT and the Rocky Top Brigade, plus the fact that blogging was new and innovative. These days, it’s routine. I don’t see nearly as much cross linking as I once did. I try to keep up with other Tennessee blogger, but I admit I fall behind much more than I used to. I don’t think I’m the only one. Volunteer State bloggers still have a community, thanks mostly to the great work of ACK and Michael Silence, but it’s just not the same anymore. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems Tennessee bloggers have gone our own ways. No more Rocky Top Brigade Tailgate parties. Longtime blogger–myself very much included–rarely post any longer. Twitter, which I still don’t fully “get”, seems to rule the roost these days. As anyone else noticed this, or have my own exploits outside the state simply isolated me? And if everyone feels the same way, is it time to reform our community? Maybe revive RTB? I’d love to hear some thoughts (if anyone even reads my blog anymore Posted at 2:44 am in Category: Blogs, Tennessee | | Tuesday, February 9, 2010Umm… Not Really…| By John Norris Brown |
Not that I’m enamored by the current administration, either… Posted at 2:43 pm in Category: American Politics | | Tuesday, January 26, 2010Leave Tiger Haven Alone!| By John Norris Brown | Those of us from Roane County, TN are likely familiar with Tiger Haven, a sanctuary for big cats located near Kingston. Over the past 19 years, the sanctuary has rescued hundreds of lions, tigers, jaguars, panthers and other large cats from abuse and abandonment. During their entire existence, the facility has been inspected an average of five times every year by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and has passed inspection every time. Also, no cat has ever escaped from the sanctuary, and no member of the public has ever been injured or killed. The work that Tiger Haven does is wonderful. It rescues animals, many of whom have been mistreated, and gives them a good life. The people who run it are doing amazing work, for which they deserve our applause. Unfortunately, as is usually the case when someone tries to do something good, others are fighting tooth and nail against it. A few years ago, some local NIMBY-types tried to shut down Tiger Haven in spite of it’s perfect record in terms of safety. Today, some of these folks are at it again. One says Tiger Haven should be located on a “10,000 acre farm somewhere where there’s no houses” (I wonder if he’s willing to pay for it). Another claims animal wastes are getting into his well. Several studies from state agencies last year indicate otherwise. In reality, Tiger Haven is less dangerous to local residents than the highways that run through the area. Tiger Haven is a wonderful place that deserves our support. Hopefully they will weather this storm just as they have in the past. If you’re interested in helping, you can find additional information on their website. Posted at 11:29 pm in Category: Conservation & Environment, Local | | Tuesday, January 19, 2010Republican Wins Ted Kennedy’s Seat| By John Norris Brown | Nobody could have predicted this a month ago:
I predicted a Brown victory, but didn’t expect such a substantial win. It’s pretty amazing that a seat so reliably Democratic could go so decisively red. The president’s party usually loses seats in midterm elections, but this is a real surprise. So what does it mean? Certainly it indicates that Obama’s star is not as bright as it was only a few months ago. Coakley was a lousy candidate, as most Democrats suggest, but in a state as blue as Massachusetts, she should have won. That she didn’t is a major victory for Republicans and a psychological blow to Obama and Democrats. It’ll be interesting to see how the respond. Posted at 9:53 pm in Category: 2010 Elections, American Politics | | Brown Will Win| By John Norris Brown | I’m sure everyone is on pins and needles waiting for my prediction on the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat previously held by Ted Kennedy. Well, here it is: Scott Brown will defeat Martha Coakley in a tight race. Posted at 5:45 pm in Category: 2010 Elections, American Politics | | Monday, January 18, 2010Haiti| By John Norris Brown | I haven’t blogged about Haiti because I don’t really know what to say. The level of tragedy can’t be put into words, and to the extent that it can, people have already done so far better than I could hope to. All I can say we should keep the people of this unfortunate nation in our prayers, and we should help in any way we can. Even if it’s only giving a few dollars to a reputable charity, it could mean the difference between life and death for someone. Every little bit helps. We should also be grateful to be Americans. Even with the economy in bad shape, we remain incredibly lucky. We should never forget that. UPDATE: I should mention that Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Poor are good and reputable organizations doing great work in Haiti. Posted at 5:35 pm in Category: American Politics, International Affairs | | Scott Brown is Liberal| By John Norris Brown | But not as liberal as his opponent, Martha Coakley. Boris Shor determines that Brown, who is attracting lots of positive attention from conservatives activists and tea party types, to be to the left of Dede Scozzafava, whom conservatives despised. So why the apparent double standard? Shor believes it simply indicates that the conservative base is rational:
Via James Joyner Posted at 11:34 am in Category: 2010 Elections, American Politics | | Tuesday, January 12, 2010Lane Kiffin to USC| By John Norris Brown | Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin is the new head coach at Southern Cal. This comes as a big surprise given that Kiffin had only coached one season in Knoxville, guiding the Vols to a 7-6 season. A new coaching search will begin immediately, I assume. It’ll be interesting to see who Tennessee finds, as well as how Kiffin does at USC. As someone who liked Kiffin and generally defended his, shall we say, feistiness, I hate to see him go. Of course, if he doesn’t have any greater commitment to the Vols than that.. UPDATE: Kiffin gives one minute press conference announcing his departure, does not allow television cameras. Tomorrow he’ll be in California and never look back. Tennessee deserves better. A friend also passes along the following:
Posted at 8:46 pm in Category: Sports, Tennessee | | Monday, January 11, 2010A Hero Has Passed| By John Norris Brown | Miep Gies, the woman who helped hide Anne Frank and saved her diary, has died at 100. Gies and her husband Bep, along with a few others, hid Anne Frank, her family, and four others in a secret annex, supplying them with food, books, and news from the outside. Like most heroes, she was modest, saying she didn’t wish to be a hero and giving the credit to others. But at a pivotal time she made the decision to do the right thing, risking everything. May her deeds never be forgotten. Posted at 10:54 pm in Category: History, International Affairs | | Is ‘Avatar’ Racist?| By John Norris Brown | That’s what some are saying:
I wondered if someone would bring this up when I saw the film, though I suspect having a human defect to the aliens had more to do with drama and introducing the alien culture through sympathetic eyes than reinforcing white supremacy. James Cameron says the real message of the film is anti-imperialism and respect for the environment, though the fact that ‘Avatar’ is partnering with McDonald’s shows he’s full of crap on those points. Posted at 1:11 pm in Category: Science & Technology, TV & Movies | | Going Rogue in West TN| By John Norris Brown | Donn Jones, candidate for Congress in Tennessee’s 8th district, announces he will not run in the Republican primary, instead switching to an Independent to run as a ‘Tea Party’-aligned candidate in the general election. In his press release, Jones is critical of the two party system and of the GOP’s lack of commitment to conservative values. I’m not sure what Jones’s motives are. If he is attempting to advance the conservatism in Congress and defeat the Obama agenda, then this move will probably have the exact opposite effect, as he’s likely to siphon votes away from the Republican nominee, ultimately helping the Democrats to retain this seat. If, however, Jones’s goal is simply media attention and self promotion (the more likely scenario, in my opinion), well, he’ll certainly succeed at that. Posted at 2:08 am in Category: 2010 Elections, American Politics, Tennessee | | Sunday, January 10, 2010Reid’s Troubles| By John Norris Brown | As you’ve probably heard, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said some decidedly un-PC things about candidate Barack Obama back in ‘08:
Reid has already apologized, and Obama has forgiven him. Republicans are calling on Reid to step down, arguing, correctly, that a Republican in a similar situation would not be so easily forgiven. So what are we to make of this–that Reid is an idiot? It sure seems that way. What baffles me as much as Reid’s stupidity is his use of the word ‘negro’. Seriously, who uses that word in 2010 (or 1985, for that matter)? It might not be racist, but it’s certainly antiquated. I don’t recall ever hearing it in casual conversation. It’ll be interesting to see the fallout from this. Can Harry Reid weather the storm? My guess is given that Reid was in struggling in the polls to begin with, Democrats will use this opportunity to ditch Reid and field a candidate in Nevada with a better chance of winning in November. Look for intense pressure on the Senate majority leader to retire at the end of his term, if not step down from his leadership position. Posted at 10:07 pm in Category: 2010 Elections, American Politics, Race | | Monday, January 4, 2010Why I Worry About the Right| By John Norris Brown | Read the comments on this Free Republic post and tell me certain members of the Religious Right aren’t batsh*t crazy. Posted at 2:53 pm in Category: American Politics, International Affairs | | Friday, December 25, 2009Merry Christmas| By John Norris Brown | A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, dear readers! I really appreciate each and every one of you taking the time to read my often incoherent and frequently neglected blog. I hope 2009 has been good to you, and that 2010 will be even better. Posted at 6:28 pm in Category: Personal | | Tuesday, December 22, 2009A Fly Ash Christmas| By John Norris Brown | The Tennessee Valley Authority is getting some Christmas presents this year: lawsuits over their ash spill from last year. The Scrooges at the TVA, though, are having none of it. They claim, that as a government entity, they are immune from such damage claims. Must be nice to not have to pay for the destruction they caused. One year ago today the TVA gave a Christmas gift to the residents of Roane County: the largest fly ash spill in U.S. history, which destroyed the Swan Pond community. It hasn’t gotten as much attention as it would had it happened in, say, Alaska (or just about anywhere else; anti-rural Appalachian bias, perhaps?), but anyone who visits can see what a disaster it is. Hopefully TVA will be held to account for this, but don’t bet on it. RoaneViews has been following this situation closely. Posted at 4:19 pm in Category: Appalachia, Conservation & Environment, Tennessee | | Saturday, December 19, 2009Podcast Appalachia: “Appalachian Christmas”| By John Norris Brown | It’s a special Christmas edition of Podcast Appalachia, featuring Christmas memories and stories from the Appalachian region! You can listen here. Posted at 4:27 pm in Category: Appalachia, History, Podcasts | | Friday, December 18, 2009State Rankings by Happiness| By John Norris Brown | Another one of those meaningless studies we all love to read has been released, ranking states from the happiest to the least cheerful. The happiest state in the Union? Louisiana, followed by Hawaii. New York comes in dead last, with Connecticut faring only slightly better. Tennessee does very well, coming in as the fourth happiest state. You can view the entire list here. Posted at 12:43 am in Category: Cultural Issues, North Carolina, Random, Tennessee | | Wednesday, December 9, 2009NEWS FLASH: Congress Seen as ‘Unethical’| By John Norris Brown | A shocking new poll from Gallup suggests that Americans might not view Congress as the most honest and ethical institution around:
To be honest, I’m surprised that the percentages of Americans who view “members of Congress” and “senators” as unethical and dishonest are only 55% and 49%, respectively. Via Politcal Wire Posted at 2:56 pm in Category: American Politics | |
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