It’s Bigger Than NPR’s Katherine Maher
1 week ago
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Triathlon in God's Country
You healthy, athletic types might be interested in this event in my home county of Chattooga.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
No surprise
Did anyone really think the public school system was going to hold itself to high standards? Guess what? The kids who don't pass, do.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Iraq
My lunch buddy Andy Parkinson turned me on to Michael Yon. This site is priceless if you are interested in what's happeningin Iraq.
GOP targets Obama on guns
Obama has been chicken on this issue for months, hoping not to alienate voters in state's like Pennsylvania and Virginia, but the McCain people want to him pushed hard in the wake of Heller.
Heller
Reason offers some interesting views on the Heller decision and the future of the Second Amendment. I am thrilled the court shot down DC's absurd anti-self defense laws and in the process made the case for the validity of the Second Amendment as it has been historically understood. However,the narrowness of the vote (only one Obama appointment from going the other way) and the nod given by even the majority to the state's right to regulate ownership heavily is worrisome.
If this were a football game I'd say we won on a long TD pass with no time left ... and I'd be very worried about playing our next opponent.
If this were a football game I'd say we won on a long TD pass with no time left ... and I'd be very worried about playing our next opponent.
Dalton politics
Dalton Mayor David Pennington ran for office vowing to cut spending and reduce taxes.
He meant it.
Pennington is making a lot of people angry in the process, but he's leading a long-overdue "reassessment" of the city's spending habits, even if it means delivering a swift boot in the backside to some previously comfortable sacred cows.
Pennington has had the audacity to actually say that city government here can be smaller and more efficient. He's right, but that isn't keeping a growing number of critics from lashing out at "King David."
Pennington has had the audacity to suggets that city police and fire departments can withstand 5 percent budget cuts. The reaction on the part of some has been frenzied. Criminals will soon be flocking to lawless Dalton. Fires will burn out of control. The sky is fallling. The sky is falling.
Don't be fooled.
The bureaucrats who are pretty much used to getting what they want from the mayor and council are going to have to work a little harder to justify their budgets. They're gonna scream loudly and try to scare the general public into thinking that disaster is looming.
It isn't .. not if those managers can effectively deal with the new budget situation.
Times are tough right now and local government cannot not be insulated from economic realities.
Hopefully mayor and council will stay on this course.
He meant it.
Pennington is making a lot of people angry in the process, but he's leading a long-overdue "reassessment" of the city's spending habits, even if it means delivering a swift boot in the backside to some previously comfortable sacred cows.
Pennington has had the audacity to actually say that city government here can be smaller and more efficient. He's right, but that isn't keeping a growing number of critics from lashing out at "King David."
Pennington has had the audacity to suggets that city police and fire departments can withstand 5 percent budget cuts. The reaction on the part of some has been frenzied. Criminals will soon be flocking to lawless Dalton. Fires will burn out of control. The sky is fallling. The sky is falling.
Don't be fooled.
The bureaucrats who are pretty much used to getting what they want from the mayor and council are going to have to work a little harder to justify their budgets. They're gonna scream loudly and try to scare the general public into thinking that disaster is looming.
It isn't .. not if those managers can effectively deal with the new budget situation.
Times are tough right now and local government cannot not be insulated from economic realities.
Hopefully mayor and council will stay on this course.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Len Bias, RIP
I was a Maryland basketball fan and loved Len Bias. When he died I was working as a sports writer in Dalton. The news came across on the wire and I was stunned.
I remember telling sports editor Doug Hawley and he was equally shocked.
Bias had just been drafted by the Boston Celtics and looked ready for a long, successful NBA career. He was immensely talented.
At times like those someone always says that maybe someone else will learn from the tragedy. Put me in that column. Any "experimenting" I may have done in regards to chemicals ended then.
I remember at the time thinking what a terrible way to die, what a waste and what an enormous burden for his family and friends to bear.
I didn't want to go out like that.
I remember telling sports editor Doug Hawley and he was equally shocked.
Bias had just been drafted by the Boston Celtics and looked ready for a long, successful NBA career. He was immensely talented.
At times like those someone always says that maybe someone else will learn from the tragedy. Put me in that column. Any "experimenting" I may have done in regards to chemicals ended then.
I remember at the time thinking what a terrible way to die, what a waste and what an enormous burden for his family and friends to bear.
I didn't want to go out like that.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
NFL
Falcon fans won't find William Andrews (or Bubba Bean), but this is a fun story on the NFL's greatest backs.
Phony watchdogs
My column from Sunday:
I joke a lot about Canada, that manatee of nations.
Truth be told though there’s a lot about our neighbor I find appealing. Hockey for instance.
Labatt Blue and Ian Tyson’s cowboy songs.
But there are rumblings to the north that worry me. They should worry Canadians too, at least the ones who value freedom of thought and expression over political correctness.
In 2002 the Rev. Stephen Bossoin wrote a letter to the editor of his local newspaper, the Red Deer Advocate. The conservative Bossoin lashed out at homosexuality, as conservative pastors have been known to do. There was nothing in his letter you haven’t heard before and nothing that hasn’t been preached from thousands of pulpits around the world for a long time.
Two years ago Western Standard magazine publisher Ezra Levant published an article about the controversial Danish cartoons that portrayed Mohammed in a less than flattering light. It was a gutsy move, one that most media outlets, this one included, lacked the nerve to emulate.
Last year Maclean’s, one of the most respected magazines in Canada, published excerpts from the book “America Alone,” by Mark Steyn. Attentive readers may remember a review of the book I wrote last year. Steyn’s best seller was also controversial, but had many defenders and stirred much legitimate debate about immigration, birth rates, etc.
All of the actions I mention above are legitimate exercises of free speech. That’s not to say I agree with them — for instance I could care less about most people’s sexual interests — but that’s the point of free speech. People are free to agree, stridently disagree, or find a comfortable patch of gray to settle into.
People are also free to cancel their subscriptions, write rebuttals, picket, organize boycotts, etc. ... you know, exercise their freedom.
But apparently that is no longer the case in Canada where regional and federal “human rights tribunals” swoop in like hawks to ravage purveyors of opinion who anger certain protected groups.
The result has been a shocking assault on free thought.
After a Kafka-like four years of legal proceedings, the Rev. Bossoin was found guilty of violating laws against what in this country we call hate speech. In a remarkably Orwellian manner, he was ordered to apologize for his letter in writing to the offended parties, fined $7,000 and told that he better quit believing what he believed.
Levant, a bulldog of a man, is in the third year of his battle with the Canadian thought police. He remains unapologetic for his alleged crimes and continues to take the offensive against the statist stooges and Islamist thugs who would like to see him silenced. The system continues to gnaw on him, but Levant fights back flamboyantly and effectively.
Steyn, an award-winning writer whose work appears in the U.S and Canada, is currently on trial (along with Maclean’s) for the sin of publishing thoughts, ideas which ignited some ready-to-combust Muslim “activists.” That these thoughts were widely available in a best-selling book did not matter. The thought police came after him.
There is a belief that the persecution of Levant and Steyn could blow up in the faces of the Castro wannabes on the various human rights tribunals. The theory is that Canadians, including the newly elected conservative government headed by Stephen Harper, will recognize the danger to liberty posed by these phony human rights watchdogs and move to rein them in.
We’ll see.
Manatees are slow to learn.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. For more on “the Canadian cases” and other subjects, check out his blog, espysoutpost.blogspot.com
I joke a lot about Canada, that manatee of nations.
Truth be told though there’s a lot about our neighbor I find appealing. Hockey for instance.
Labatt Blue and Ian Tyson’s cowboy songs.
But there are rumblings to the north that worry me. They should worry Canadians too, at least the ones who value freedom of thought and expression over political correctness.
In 2002 the Rev. Stephen Bossoin wrote a letter to the editor of his local newspaper, the Red Deer Advocate. The conservative Bossoin lashed out at homosexuality, as conservative pastors have been known to do. There was nothing in his letter you haven’t heard before and nothing that hasn’t been preached from thousands of pulpits around the world for a long time.
Two years ago Western Standard magazine publisher Ezra Levant published an article about the controversial Danish cartoons that portrayed Mohammed in a less than flattering light. It was a gutsy move, one that most media outlets, this one included, lacked the nerve to emulate.
Last year Maclean’s, one of the most respected magazines in Canada, published excerpts from the book “America Alone,” by Mark Steyn. Attentive readers may remember a review of the book I wrote last year. Steyn’s best seller was also controversial, but had many defenders and stirred much legitimate debate about immigration, birth rates, etc.
All of the actions I mention above are legitimate exercises of free speech. That’s not to say I agree with them — for instance I could care less about most people’s sexual interests — but that’s the point of free speech. People are free to agree, stridently disagree, or find a comfortable patch of gray to settle into.
People are also free to cancel their subscriptions, write rebuttals, picket, organize boycotts, etc. ... you know, exercise their freedom.
But apparently that is no longer the case in Canada where regional and federal “human rights tribunals” swoop in like hawks to ravage purveyors of opinion who anger certain protected groups.
The result has been a shocking assault on free thought.
After a Kafka-like four years of legal proceedings, the Rev. Bossoin was found guilty of violating laws against what in this country we call hate speech. In a remarkably Orwellian manner, he was ordered to apologize for his letter in writing to the offended parties, fined $7,000 and told that he better quit believing what he believed.
Levant, a bulldog of a man, is in the third year of his battle with the Canadian thought police. He remains unapologetic for his alleged crimes and continues to take the offensive against the statist stooges and Islamist thugs who would like to see him silenced. The system continues to gnaw on him, but Levant fights back flamboyantly and effectively.
Steyn, an award-winning writer whose work appears in the U.S and Canada, is currently on trial (along with Maclean’s) for the sin of publishing thoughts, ideas which ignited some ready-to-combust Muslim “activists.” That these thoughts were widely available in a best-selling book did not matter. The thought police came after him.
There is a belief that the persecution of Levant and Steyn could blow up in the faces of the Castro wannabes on the various human rights tribunals. The theory is that Canadians, including the newly elected conservative government headed by Stephen Harper, will recognize the danger to liberty posed by these phony human rights watchdogs and move to rein them in.
We’ll see.
Manatees are slow to learn.
Jimmy Espy is executive editor of The Daily Citizen. For more on “the Canadian cases” and other subjects, check out his blog, espysoutpost.blogspot.com
Netflix Warrior
I dove into the treasure chest that is Netflix last week and rented a pair of war movies I have never seen -- one turned out pretty good, the other was pretty lame.
"Overlord" was the stinker. It's clever in its design, but that's about it. The filmmakers merge new dramatic material in with WW 2-vintage archival footage. Th merger is near seamless. Technically, the film was interesting. However, the story was dreary. A young British man is called up to serve just before D-Day. He goes through army training, meets a morbid girl, becomes determined that he is going to die and then heads off to Normandy to whup Hitler. That's pretty much it and "it" is dully enacted.
I tracked down the Italian film "El Alamein" after reading a couple of books about the war in North Africa. "El Alamein" follows the grim adventures of a unit of Italian infantrymen dug in and awaiting a big British counteroffensive.
While there are some historical errors, overall the movie does a good job of conveying the psychological and physical state of the under supplied and under equippped Italians.
Often the I-tis are just bashed as cowardly and worthless troops -- an image perpetuated by their German allies -- when in fact many Italian troops performed very well despite inadequate firepower and supplies.
"El Alamein" is grim and fairly predictable, but definitely worth viewing if you're a war movie fan.
"Overlord" was the stinker. It's clever in its design, but that's about it. The filmmakers merge new dramatic material in with WW 2-vintage archival footage. Th merger is near seamless. Technically, the film was interesting. However, the story was dreary. A young British man is called up to serve just before D-Day. He goes through army training, meets a morbid girl, becomes determined that he is going to die and then heads off to Normandy to whup Hitler. That's pretty much it and "it" is dully enacted.
I tracked down the Italian film "El Alamein" after reading a couple of books about the war in North Africa. "El Alamein" follows the grim adventures of a unit of Italian infantrymen dug in and awaiting a big British counteroffensive.
While there are some historical errors, overall the movie does a good job of conveying the psychological and physical state of the under supplied and under equippped Italians.
Often the I-tis are just bashed as cowardly and worthless troops -- an image perpetuated by their German allies -- when in fact many Italian troops performed very well despite inadequate firepower and supplies.
"El Alamein" is grim and fairly predictable, but definitely worth viewing if you're a war movie fan.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Baseball
I enjoy Major League Baseball's All Star Game, at least enough to watch a chunk of it.
But I am amazed that some people take the game so seriously.
I heard a numbskull on the radio on Friday ranting about the "great travesty" it would be if Ryan Ludwick didn't make the All Star team.
Ryan Luckwick?
For the record, he's an outfielder with the Cardinals and is having a pretty good first half ... which brings me to my point, how can we logically identify an All Star squad only halfway through the season. Shouldn't a player be rated based on his total performance for the year, not just what he did over the first 85 or so games?
Maybe there should be two All Star games, one at mid-season and the other after the season? Or one game after the season?
MLB's system for picking the team is also a goof. Fan voting determines the starting lineups which means teams with better attendance (or more national TV appearances) have a big advantage over players on small market teams.
That's why you might have five NY Yankees and one Kansas City Royal on an All Star squad, even if the Yankees are lousy at the time.
You need more evidence?
How about some catcher you've never heard who happens to play for the Cubs leading the Braves' Brian McCann in this year's fan voting. (Just another reason to hate the Cubs!)
The rest of the all star squads are filled out by the team managers who make a big to-do about how much care they take in making their decisions ... based on half a season's stats.
The managers claim player personalities have nothing to do with the process, but that's a crock. Just like it's also a crock when the fans vote on an aging favorite who can't get around on the high heat anymore.
Then again, if you look at the All Star game as baseball's way of saying thanks to the fans -- those us us who shell out $45 for a decent seat and $7 for a hotdog -- then letting us knuckleheads pick the players we want to see is probably the best method ... even it means we don't get to see the immortal Ryan Ludwick.
But I am amazed that some people take the game so seriously.
I heard a numbskull on the radio on Friday ranting about the "great travesty" it would be if Ryan Ludwick didn't make the All Star team.
Ryan Luckwick?
For the record, he's an outfielder with the Cardinals and is having a pretty good first half ... which brings me to my point, how can we logically identify an All Star squad only halfway through the season. Shouldn't a player be rated based on his total performance for the year, not just what he did over the first 85 or so games?
Maybe there should be two All Star games, one at mid-season and the other after the season? Or one game after the season?
MLB's system for picking the team is also a goof. Fan voting determines the starting lineups which means teams with better attendance (or more national TV appearances) have a big advantage over players on small market teams.
That's why you might have five NY Yankees and one Kansas City Royal on an All Star squad, even if the Yankees are lousy at the time.
You need more evidence?
How about some catcher you've never heard who happens to play for the Cubs leading the Braves' Brian McCann in this year's fan voting. (Just another reason to hate the Cubs!)
The rest of the all star squads are filled out by the team managers who make a big to-do about how much care they take in making their decisions ... based on half a season's stats.
The managers claim player personalities have nothing to do with the process, but that's a crock. Just like it's also a crock when the fans vote on an aging favorite who can't get around on the high heat anymore.
Then again, if you look at the All Star game as baseball's way of saying thanks to the fans -- those us us who shell out $45 for a decent seat and $7 for a hotdog -- then letting us knuckleheads pick the players we want to see is probably the best method ... even it means we don't get to see the immortal Ryan Ludwick.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Grappler's Corner
After suffering a few minutes of another horrendous Monday night wrestling show I needed a dose of grunt and groan medicine to lift my spirits. The video isn't prime, but the action is.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Thought Police II
Here's the link to a column I did on Mark Steyn's controversial book. Anyone interested in free thought and free speech should be concerned about what is happening to writers like Steyn and Ezra Levant in Canada. You don't have to agree with their arguments to understand the dire threat their prosecution is to a free people. And make no mistake ... it could happen here.
Lakers Fall in Big Hole
The late, great wrestling commentator Gordon Solie referred to it as "intestinal fortitude."
The late, great John Wayne caled it "backbone."
My late, great granny Anderson called it "gumption."
However you identify it, the L.A. Lakers haven't got it, as proven by their horrible, humiliating 39-point loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night. Put simply, Kobe and Co. quit.
I saw this coming over the weekend when after their win in Game 5, the Lakers' Lamar Odom told an interviewer that the reason the team played so hard and won was so they could go out to dinner that night in LA and not get hooted at. I am paraphrasing -- a little -- but clearly Odom thought that by not losing at home the Lakers had pretty much done all that could be expected of them.
Win the series? Hah. I'm surprised Odom even showed up in Boston.
Then again, maybe he didn't.
I grew up a Laker fan and was captivated by their running feud with the Celtics in the 1970's and early 1980's. A late night Laker loss to Bird and Co. in the playoffs would ruin the next day for me. I hated the Celtics and that was OK, because the Lakers hated them too. For real.
Things have changed. Lamar Odom will probably be lying by the pool at Paul Pierce's house this weekend. Or maybe they can go out to dinner together?
What a miserable performance.
Laker greats like Worthy, Jabbar, Magic and Shaq have to be shaking their heads in embarrassment today.
The late, great John Wayne caled it "backbone."
My late, great granny Anderson called it "gumption."
However you identify it, the L.A. Lakers haven't got it, as proven by their horrible, humiliating 39-point loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night. Put simply, Kobe and Co. quit.
I saw this coming over the weekend when after their win in Game 5, the Lakers' Lamar Odom told an interviewer that the reason the team played so hard and won was so they could go out to dinner that night in LA and not get hooted at. I am paraphrasing -- a little -- but clearly Odom thought that by not losing at home the Lakers had pretty much done all that could be expected of them.
Win the series? Hah. I'm surprised Odom even showed up in Boston.
Then again, maybe he didn't.
I grew up a Laker fan and was captivated by their running feud with the Celtics in the 1970's and early 1980's. A late night Laker loss to Bird and Co. in the playoffs would ruin the next day for me. I hated the Celtics and that was OK, because the Lakers hated them too. For real.
Things have changed. Lamar Odom will probably be lying by the pool at Paul Pierce's house this weekend. Or maybe they can go out to dinner together?
What a miserable performance.
Laker greats like Worthy, Jabbar, Magic and Shaq have to be shaking their heads in embarrassment today.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Hauling 'em in
My Sunday column from The Daily Citizen. I had a longer, more ambitious take on this in mind, but ran out of space and time. But this one holds up.
---
I was on vacation.
My alarm was set for 6 a.m.
Normally those two things would never occur at the same time.
But this was no ordinary vacation day — I was going fishing. And not just your cane-pole-for-rock-bass-in-a-small-pond kind of fishing.
This was an official fishing trip — a deep sea excursion with five other males. In other words, it was macho time.
I showered quickly and went to the kitchen where my fishing buddies were supposed to gather. I was the first to arrive, thus proving my toughness.
The others trickled in slowly — effeminately, one might say.
There was my old pal Ritchie from Atlanta and his young son, Noah.
There was my old pal Tony and his soon to be young step-son, Michael.
There was me.
On the way to Captain Charlie’s — more about him later — we stopped and picked up Chris, a guy from Atlanta who I know through another old pal.
The six of us then went to Charlie’s Charter on the bay side of St George Island. Like Captain Ahab, Charlie wasted no time getting us moving. My guess is he sized up our fishing skills quickly and wanted to get the day over with as soon as possible.
But what a day it turned out to be.
I was the first fisherman on board to get a hook in the water and sure enough within minutes had landed our first catch.
This was going to be easy, I told myself.
A catchless hour later, I was singing myself a different tune.
While my boatmates were hauling ‘em in right and left, I was mired in an Andruw Jones-like drought. Nothing on my hook but air.
I’d set the bait on bottom, 80 feet down, and the local fish would immediately begin to torment me. They would poke at it and tap it and bump it a little with their noses but every time I executed my manly “setting of the hook,” I would reel in a big haul of nothing.
Once a wiseguy fish attached a little note to my hook. All it said was “Schmendrick!”
“Must have been a jewfish,” I told Capt. Charlie, who informed that the jewfish is now known by the more politically correct as the Goliath Grouper.
Oy vey!
I wondered if I was ever going to catch another fish. Maybe it was the desolate look on my face, but Capt. Charlie took pity on me and when he hooked a nice fish himself, he handed the rod off to me and let me haul it in.
I know he meant well, but at that point I wanted to dive overboard. Suddenly I was 5-years-old again and my older brother was “taking my last swing” in a neighborhood baseball game.
Ouch!
But instead of bursting into tears, I “endeavored to persevere,” as the old Indian said in “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”
I kept hacking and soon got the hang of things again.
For the next few hours I owned the Gulf of Mexico, hauling in fish after fish until my body ached.
But don’t worry, I saved a few for you ... if you’re man enough to take ‘em.
---
I was on vacation.
My alarm was set for 6 a.m.
Normally those two things would never occur at the same time.
But this was no ordinary vacation day — I was going fishing. And not just your cane-pole-for-rock-bass-in-a-small-pond kind of fishing.
This was an official fishing trip — a deep sea excursion with five other males. In other words, it was macho time.
I showered quickly and went to the kitchen where my fishing buddies were supposed to gather. I was the first to arrive, thus proving my toughness.
The others trickled in slowly — effeminately, one might say.
There was my old pal Ritchie from Atlanta and his young son, Noah.
There was my old pal Tony and his soon to be young step-son, Michael.
There was me.
On the way to Captain Charlie’s — more about him later — we stopped and picked up Chris, a guy from Atlanta who I know through another old pal.
The six of us then went to Charlie’s Charter on the bay side of St George Island. Like Captain Ahab, Charlie wasted no time getting us moving. My guess is he sized up our fishing skills quickly and wanted to get the day over with as soon as possible.
But what a day it turned out to be.
I was the first fisherman on board to get a hook in the water and sure enough within minutes had landed our first catch.
This was going to be easy, I told myself.
A catchless hour later, I was singing myself a different tune.
While my boatmates were hauling ‘em in right and left, I was mired in an Andruw Jones-like drought. Nothing on my hook but air.
I’d set the bait on bottom, 80 feet down, and the local fish would immediately begin to torment me. They would poke at it and tap it and bump it a little with their noses but every time I executed my manly “setting of the hook,” I would reel in a big haul of nothing.
Once a wiseguy fish attached a little note to my hook. All it said was “Schmendrick!”
“Must have been a jewfish,” I told Capt. Charlie, who informed that the jewfish is now known by the more politically correct as the Goliath Grouper.
Oy vey!
I wondered if I was ever going to catch another fish. Maybe it was the desolate look on my face, but Capt. Charlie took pity on me and when he hooked a nice fish himself, he handed the rod off to me and let me haul it in.
I know he meant well, but at that point I wanted to dive overboard. Suddenly I was 5-years-old again and my older brother was “taking my last swing” in a neighborhood baseball game.
Ouch!
But instead of bursting into tears, I “endeavored to persevere,” as the old Indian said in “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”
I kept hacking and soon got the hang of things again.
For the next few hours I owned the Gulf of Mexico, hauling in fish after fish until my body ached.
But don’t worry, I saved a few for you ... if you’re man enough to take ‘em.
Stan Winston, RIP
Winston was the best of all in this Golden Age of great movie effects. His work was superb, even if he was tortured by what he perceived as its flaws. I'd watch a bad movie to see Stan Winston's work. He was the giant of his field. Here are some good comments and links about the best special effects man of all time.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Straight Into Darkness
I just noticed that "Straight Into Darkness," a really fine war film directed by Jeff Burr and produced by Mark Hannah is on Showtime's Beyond Channel tonight at 1 a.m. or so. Mark and Jeff are both from Dalton. It'll probably be on again soon, so check the Showtime Beyond listings or ask for the movie at your local DVD store.
(By the way, I know both Hannah and Burr, so I am slightly prejudiced, but it really is a good movie.)
(By the way, I know both Hannah and Burr, so I am slightly prejudiced, but it really is a good movie.)
God booted -- another view
Any God which can get tossed out of the classroom by bureaucrats -- or anywhere else for that matter -- is a sissy.
I suspect today's Christian students feel the presence of God on a personal level at school as much as they ever did. Kids can and do pray in school. Kids can and do talk about God in school.
What we don't have today, for the most part, are school officials leading the prayers and/or discussions. I prefer it that way.
Mr. Cochran talks about the religious background of the Founding Fathers and their is no doubt that many of them were religious, to an extent. Some were devout Christians, of whatever stripe, but many were also deists. They believed in the existence of some form of God, but did not necessarily buy a complete package of conventional Christian beliefs in the deal. Quite a few of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Ben Franklin, were Freemasons and one of the tenets of that group was freedom of religion (though they didn't think much of polytheists).
If you look at many of the things Washington and others from that time said and did, you notice they tend to not say much about the details of their personal religious views.
---
Mr. Cochran encourages prayer by all religions -- including Satanists -- in school. As I said before, prayer is possible now, so I am assuming he means some form of prayer service. Does he really think the little Satanist kid (or Adventist or Jew) is going to get his moment in the spotlight with all those hard praying conventional Christians nearby? Does Mr. Cochran suggest the kids be subdivided during the school day into separate but equal prayer facilities? Why not let them deal with their religion as individuals in a private manner during school and then let them pack together voluntarily afterward in a facility set up for them --- you know, maybe a church!
---
I suspect any "waves of terror" like Mr. Cochran mentions are not to be found at the ACLU or at similar organizations. Whether you agree with them or not, they tend to be pretty darn efficient and relentless at winning these battles in the courts. If there is any panic going on I suspect it's in the mind of overreacting fundamentalists.
---
I have no problem with historic documents which include religious references being in the schools. However, they should be labeled as such. Documents which are expressly or even primarily religious in nature should not be on display in public schools. Government should not propagate any religious view in public schools.
---
Mr. Cochran never really makes clear what he thinks the proper role of the school official is in this debate.
---
By the way, I have no problem with religious students "advertising" their religion on their clothing. A cross -- even an upside down one -- would be OK in my book (legally, if not morally) as long as the person wearing it was doing so of their own accord and without official sanction.
---
I agree with Mr. Cochran on the suitability of private schools or home schooling for the children of parents who want more religious-oriented schooling. I have no problems with the message, but reject the idea that is should be delivered at taxpayer expense. I also would like to see his (and my) taxes reduced to the point where the financial impact of private schooling is less burdensome to parents.
---
When it comes to public education, there are problems enough without whipping up an imaginary one. God is holding his own nicely in the classroom and He's doing it without the assistance of the state.
I suspect today's Christian students feel the presence of God on a personal level at school as much as they ever did. Kids can and do pray in school. Kids can and do talk about God in school.
What we don't have today, for the most part, are school officials leading the prayers and/or discussions. I prefer it that way.
Mr. Cochran talks about the religious background of the Founding Fathers and their is no doubt that many of them were religious, to an extent. Some were devout Christians, of whatever stripe, but many were also deists. They believed in the existence of some form of God, but did not necessarily buy a complete package of conventional Christian beliefs in the deal. Quite a few of the Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Ben Franklin, were Freemasons and one of the tenets of that group was freedom of religion (though they didn't think much of polytheists).
If you look at many of the things Washington and others from that time said and did, you notice they tend to not say much about the details of their personal religious views.
---
Mr. Cochran encourages prayer by all religions -- including Satanists -- in school. As I said before, prayer is possible now, so I am assuming he means some form of prayer service. Does he really think the little Satanist kid (or Adventist or Jew) is going to get his moment in the spotlight with all those hard praying conventional Christians nearby? Does Mr. Cochran suggest the kids be subdivided during the school day into separate but equal prayer facilities? Why not let them deal with their religion as individuals in a private manner during school and then let them pack together voluntarily afterward in a facility set up for them --- you know, maybe a church!
---
I suspect any "waves of terror" like Mr. Cochran mentions are not to be found at the ACLU or at similar organizations. Whether you agree with them or not, they tend to be pretty darn efficient and relentless at winning these battles in the courts. If there is any panic going on I suspect it's in the mind of overreacting fundamentalists.
---
I have no problem with historic documents which include religious references being in the schools. However, they should be labeled as such. Documents which are expressly or even primarily religious in nature should not be on display in public schools. Government should not propagate any religious view in public schools.
---
Mr. Cochran never really makes clear what he thinks the proper role of the school official is in this debate.
---
By the way, I have no problem with religious students "advertising" their religion on their clothing. A cross -- even an upside down one -- would be OK in my book (legally, if not morally) as long as the person wearing it was doing so of their own accord and without official sanction.
---
I agree with Mr. Cochran on the suitability of private schools or home schooling for the children of parents who want more religious-oriented schooling. I have no problems with the message, but reject the idea that is should be delivered at taxpayer expense. I also would like to see his (and my) taxes reduced to the point where the financial impact of private schooling is less burdensome to parents.
---
When it comes to public education, there are problems enough without whipping up an imaginary one. God is holding his own nicely in the classroom and He's doing it without the assistance of the state.
God booted from classrooms?
This excellent letter was sent to the Daily Citizen. I thought it deserved futher discussion. My comments follow on the next post.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Flood
The terrible images and stories coming out of Iowa bring back some powerful memories. In 1990 I was the managing editor of a small daily newspaper in Enterprise, Ala. One Friday after work I was supposed to head east to spend the weekend with my girlfriend in Valdosta. But the skies opened up in the early afternoon and a tremendous rain started. It was coming down so hard a lot of us stopped working and went to the door or windows to watch. The thing is, it didn't stop. About 5:30 pm I started east on US 84. It was raining so hard I had to slow down to a crawl, not a good thing when you're starting a three-hour drive.
I made it a few miles east of town in a torrent of water, then made the decision to go back to Enterprise. I called my girlfriend and told her I might not make it that night. She was, shall we say, not happy.
It continued to pour rain that evening and on into the night.
Our second largest coverage area was Elba, Ala. Elba was small town nestled against the Pea River, about 15 miles west of Enterprise on US 84. I don't remember if I got word about the leveee giving way that evening or the following morning, but I got over there very early on Saturday.
It was a stunning sight.
From the hillside next to town, with dozens of other people milling around, I looked out over the town. Flood waters had engulfed the little city. A break in the levee north of town had directed billions of gallons of water inside the structure. AFter the rupture, the levee no longer protected the wown. Instead it denied the surging waters a natural exit. Little Elba filled up like a teacup.
Shocked but with a job to do, I hoodwinked my way aboard a rescue boat and spent the rest of the day tooling around the town taking photos and talking to residents. Fortunately, no one had died. But they easily could have. The water level downtown rose to the second floor windows of the charming old city hall. I remember our boat going across the high school football field, where only the uppermost seats in the grandstand remained above the flood waters.
(I remember walking on part of the levee and seeing snakes and vermin lying next to each other, exhausted from the efforts that got them to this high ground.)
Being an inexperienced photographer I shot all of my film way too early, so I put my camera away and helped with rescue efforts. We didn't pick up any people, but we took a pair of beautiful big dogs to safety. Their owner had put them in the back of a pickup truck in his front yard, assuming (incorrectly) the water wouldn't get that high and he could get them later. When we found them, the two big beauties were in cold water up to their chests and in shock. We took them to high ground.
Later, out of the boat, I wandered through the hillside crowd talking to people who had abandoned their homes -- many doing so in the middle of the night. I remember initially being amazed at how stoic most of these victims were, but the more I listened I realized that what I first thought was stoicism was actually shock. The enormity of their loss had either not yet hit or had overwhelmed them.
I tried to keep their loss in mind over the next few days as I joined my tiny staff in working feverishly to put out our little newspaper. I remember long, long days. We did as much as we could -- though not nearly enough -- and eventually received a national award for our flood coverage.
Of all the memories I have of that time, the most haunting today remains a moment I shared with a woman on the hillside east of town. She had abandoned her home during the night, scooping up her kids and little else. From our safe perch near US 84, she pointed to the roof of the house she had lived in for years, the house which held all her possessions. The roof was all that was above the filthy water.
At first she answered my questions with a mix of toughness and humor, but as I looked on, the scope of her personal loss finally struck her. Her calm demeanor crumbled. Her determined, almost heroic, look dissolved. The tears begin to flow and she sobbed.
I took her hand and she looked at me, hoping desperately that I had some magic answer for her. Something. Anything.
I dug a crumpled $20 out of my pocket and gave it to her. "For supper," I said.
I felt like a fool. But she took it, thanked me and walked away.
I have never felt so useless.
I made it a few miles east of town in a torrent of water, then made the decision to go back to Enterprise. I called my girlfriend and told her I might not make it that night. She was, shall we say, not happy.
It continued to pour rain that evening and on into the night.
Our second largest coverage area was Elba, Ala. Elba was small town nestled against the Pea River, about 15 miles west of Enterprise on US 84. I don't remember if I got word about the leveee giving way that evening or the following morning, but I got over there very early on Saturday.
It was a stunning sight.
From the hillside next to town, with dozens of other people milling around, I looked out over the town. Flood waters had engulfed the little city. A break in the levee north of town had directed billions of gallons of water inside the structure. AFter the rupture, the levee no longer protected the wown. Instead it denied the surging waters a natural exit. Little Elba filled up like a teacup.
Shocked but with a job to do, I hoodwinked my way aboard a rescue boat and spent the rest of the day tooling around the town taking photos and talking to residents. Fortunately, no one had died. But they easily could have. The water level downtown rose to the second floor windows of the charming old city hall. I remember our boat going across the high school football field, where only the uppermost seats in the grandstand remained above the flood waters.
(I remember walking on part of the levee and seeing snakes and vermin lying next to each other, exhausted from the efforts that got them to this high ground.)
Being an inexperienced photographer I shot all of my film way too early, so I put my camera away and helped with rescue efforts. We didn't pick up any people, but we took a pair of beautiful big dogs to safety. Their owner had put them in the back of a pickup truck in his front yard, assuming (incorrectly) the water wouldn't get that high and he could get them later. When we found them, the two big beauties were in cold water up to their chests and in shock. We took them to high ground.
Later, out of the boat, I wandered through the hillside crowd talking to people who had abandoned their homes -- many doing so in the middle of the night. I remember initially being amazed at how stoic most of these victims were, but the more I listened I realized that what I first thought was stoicism was actually shock. The enormity of their loss had either not yet hit or had overwhelmed them.
I tried to keep their loss in mind over the next few days as I joined my tiny staff in working feverishly to put out our little newspaper. I remember long, long days. We did as much as we could -- though not nearly enough -- and eventually received a national award for our flood coverage.
Of all the memories I have of that time, the most haunting today remains a moment I shared with a woman on the hillside east of town. She had abandoned her home during the night, scooping up her kids and little else. From our safe perch near US 84, she pointed to the roof of the house she had lived in for years, the house which held all her possessions. The roof was all that was above the filthy water.
At first she answered my questions with a mix of toughness and humor, but as I looked on, the scope of her personal loss finally struck her. Her calm demeanor crumbled. Her determined, almost heroic, look dissolved. The tears begin to flow and she sobbed.
I took her hand and she looked at me, hoping desperately that I had some magic answer for her. Something. Anything.
I dug a crumpled $20 out of my pocket and gave it to her. "For supper," I said.
I felt like a fool. But she took it, thanked me and walked away.
I have never felt so useless.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Lima bean crisis
The lima bean is the most under appreciated bean in beandom and I love 'em. Yet, they a getting harder and harder to get at our local eateries. Can anyone point me toward a joint that serves prime limas regularly?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Cleburne statue update
The city of Ringgold now has the roadside park on US 41. Hopefully, this will help make the statue honoring the stalwart Confederate general a reality.
Tight times in Gainesville
While the Dalton City Schools increase spending in next year's budget, the Gainesville city system is facing some tough decisions.
Angry taxpayers in Floyd
Whitfield County is not the only place where rising property taxes have angered citizens. This is from Floyd County.
Boggs wins
Dalton High's Mitchell Boggswon his first ever start in the Major Leagues on Tuesday. Congratulations.
Blog plug
If you are interested in world affairs from a libertarian perspective, try this site. It's written with wit and a keen understanding of history, economics, politics, etc. One of my favorite.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Flicks - Border Incident
In the 1950's and 60's director Anthony Mann made some very good movies, including a series of tough-as-nails westerns with James Stewart ("The Naked Spur," The "Far Country.")
In 1949, Mann directed a picture that has been largely forgotten, which is a shame because it is a crackerjack film.
"Border Incident" could be of special interest here as it's central story involves the illegal smuggling of braceros (Mexican agriculture workers) into the United States.
Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy play immigration agents for Mexico and the United States, working together to break up a murderous ring of human smugglers. First the bad guys, Mexican and American, bring the field workers into the country illegally and later they prey on them when they try to return to Mexico with the money they've saved.
The story is very sympathetic to the workers -- which will drive the anti-illegal extremists to distraction -- but it's also very realistic in several areas.
The villains come from both sides of the border. Some businesses willfully and with full knowledge employ the illegal workers, while at the same time taking advantage of their illegal status to rip them off. The field workers knowingly break the law.
As usual in movies of this this era, the governments of Mexico and the U.S. are shown cooperating fully and to great effect. Ha!
Still, it's a powerful story told in stylish manner. Call it border noir. Though much of the story is set outdoors, the film is bathed in darkness and shadow in the classic film noir manner. The cast is also very good, with some top character actors -- Arthur Hunnicutt, Howard da Silva and Charles McGraw -- delivering crackling performances under Mann's skilled guidance.
And for the era, it's a very brutal movie. The threat of violence looms over almost every scene and when things turn nasty, they turn very nasty. The demise of one of the movie's major characters is shocking in its intensity.
Hollywood cranks out a lot of crummy remakes of movies that weren't that good to begin with, but "Border Incident" is a story that if updated properly and not infested with political correctness would make a terrific redo.
On Espy's 1-10 scale, this one gets a 9.
In 1949, Mann directed a picture that has been largely forgotten, which is a shame because it is a crackerjack film.
"Border Incident" could be of special interest here as it's central story involves the illegal smuggling of braceros (Mexican agriculture workers) into the United States.
Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy play immigration agents for Mexico and the United States, working together to break up a murderous ring of human smugglers. First the bad guys, Mexican and American, bring the field workers into the country illegally and later they prey on them when they try to return to Mexico with the money they've saved.
The story is very sympathetic to the workers -- which will drive the anti-illegal extremists to distraction -- but it's also very realistic in several areas.
The villains come from both sides of the border. Some businesses willfully and with full knowledge employ the illegal workers, while at the same time taking advantage of their illegal status to rip them off. The field workers knowingly break the law.
As usual in movies of this this era, the governments of Mexico and the U.S. are shown cooperating fully and to great effect. Ha!
Still, it's a powerful story told in stylish manner. Call it border noir. Though much of the story is set outdoors, the film is bathed in darkness and shadow in the classic film noir manner. The cast is also very good, with some top character actors -- Arthur Hunnicutt, Howard da Silva and Charles McGraw -- delivering crackling performances under Mann's skilled guidance.
And for the era, it's a very brutal movie. The threat of violence looms over almost every scene and when things turn nasty, they turn very nasty. The demise of one of the movie's major characters is shocking in its intensity.
Hollywood cranks out a lot of crummy remakes of movies that weren't that good to begin with, but "Border Incident" is a story that if updated properly and not infested with political correctness would make a terrific redo.
On Espy's 1-10 scale, this one gets a 9.
Monday, June 9, 2008
So how come after 30 or so years this goofy song still sticks with me. Eve of Destruction.And I love the nifty video.
The New Town Crier
Sorry to see the Mangrove on Walnut and Dug Gap closed. I will miss the fine sausage biscuit and the gyro.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Michael Jordan's most irritating legacy
The Bulls great (and the Bullets good) was the first player I heard refer to basketball as "the game of basketball," as opposed to, you know, "basketball."
This pretentious bit of verbal puffery took.
Last night a TNT hoops analyst -- in a single sentence -- used "the game of basketball" and "rebound the basketball."
As opposed to "rebound the hot dog concession?"
This pretentious bit of verbal puffery took.
Last night a TNT hoops analyst -- in a single sentence -- used "the game of basketball" and "rebound the basketball."
As opposed to "rebound the hot dog concession?"
Flicks
If you like a good serial killer story then "Antibobies," a German-made movie from 2005 is worth looking at.
The story borrows from two main sources: the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris and the Bible by God.
Andre Hennicke plays Gabriel Engel, an admitted serial rapist and killer of young boys (and one cop), who is captured in the movie's opening scene. Engel then wages a devious, dastardly war of wits with a small town policeman, Michael Martens, played by Wotan Wilke Mohring, who thinks Engel may be responsible for the death of a young girl in his village.
From his jail cell Engel skillfully leads Martens down the path of moral and psychological destruction, taking advantage of the previously upright officer's wavering faith and familial woes.
This story isn't for the kiddies. There's graphic violence and some strong sex scenes. Even better, there's an adult story with serious themes, not the least of which is religious salvation.
The movie's reach exceeds its grasp but it will stay with you afterward, unlike most of the dreck in the desperately tired serial killer sub-genre.
On the Espy 1-10 scale, I give it a solid 8.
(Warning: German language with subtitles)
The story borrows from two main sources: the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris and the Bible by God.
Andre Hennicke plays Gabriel Engel, an admitted serial rapist and killer of young boys (and one cop), who is captured in the movie's opening scene. Engel then wages a devious, dastardly war of wits with a small town policeman, Michael Martens, played by Wotan Wilke Mohring, who thinks Engel may be responsible for the death of a young girl in his village.
From his jail cell Engel skillfully leads Martens down the path of moral and psychological destruction, taking advantage of the previously upright officer's wavering faith and familial woes.
This story isn't for the kiddies. There's graphic violence and some strong sex scenes. Even better, there's an adult story with serious themes, not the least of which is religious salvation.
The movie's reach exceeds its grasp but it will stay with you afterward, unlike most of the dreck in the desperately tired serial killer sub-genre.
On the Espy 1-10 scale, I give it a solid 8.
(Warning: German language with subtitles)
Newspaperin'
I should be happy the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has cut its delivery to Northwest Georgia. It'll probably result in more sales of The Daily Citizen.
But the newspaper-loving side of me isn't so thrilled.
I grew up reading three newspapers: The Summerville News, a weekly owned by my family; the Chattanooga Times (our morning paper) and the Atlanta Journal, which usually arrived just as I got home from school.
I read the Times -- at least the sports section -- in the bathroom and at the breakfast table before school and I read the Journal as soon as it arrived in the afternoon. (I had to read both papers carefully because my older brother and father also read them and neither wanted a ruffled copy of the Journal when they got home.)
Sports and comics (loved that Wizard of Id) were my first interests but slowly I began to branch out into other parts of the newspaper, eventually becoming a cover-to-cover reader.
I was unhappy when the Journal and Constitution melded and furious when the afternoon paper -- my favorite -- was put down like an old dog.
Now, for all intents and purposes, the morning paper has disappeared as well.
And don't tell me reading it on the Internet is the same thing. I like Internet newspapering and the potential it holds, but dagnabit when a man sits down at the Waffle House and orders a bowl of that good chili he should be able to read a copy of his home state's leading newspaper.
I shared this complaint this morning at The Cracker Barrel with a compadre -- let's call him Rueful Roger -- who lamented the absence of the AJC from local news racks.
An era has passed in Georgia and right now it's hard to see how we're better off for the change.
But the newspaper-loving side of me isn't so thrilled.
I grew up reading three newspapers: The Summerville News, a weekly owned by my family; the Chattanooga Times (our morning paper) and the Atlanta Journal, which usually arrived just as I got home from school.
I read the Times -- at least the sports section -- in the bathroom and at the breakfast table before school and I read the Journal as soon as it arrived in the afternoon. (I had to read both papers carefully because my older brother and father also read them and neither wanted a ruffled copy of the Journal when they got home.)
Sports and comics (loved that Wizard of Id) were my first interests but slowly I began to branch out into other parts of the newspaper, eventually becoming a cover-to-cover reader.
I was unhappy when the Journal and Constitution melded and furious when the afternoon paper -- my favorite -- was put down like an old dog.
Now, for all intents and purposes, the morning paper has disappeared as well.
And don't tell me reading it on the Internet is the same thing. I like Internet newspapering and the potential it holds, but dagnabit when a man sits down at the Waffle House and orders a bowl of that good chili he should be able to read a copy of his home state's leading newspaper.
I shared this complaint this morning at The Cracker Barrel with a compadre -- let's call him Rueful Roger -- who lamented the absence of the AJC from local news racks.
An era has passed in Georgia and right now it's hard to see how we're better off for the change.
College Football
Tennessee linebacker Jerrod Mayo a big part of Patriots not-so-distant future. He was a terrific player in college and should be a great fit with a championship-caliber team.
I don't know if there's a better mainstream writer on economics issues than Newsweek's Robert J. Samuelson.Here he is on "cap and trade" environmentalism.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Strangers review
According to this reviewer The Strangers" was "cribbed" from from two films, "Them" and "Funny Games." "Funny Games" has just been remade for the US as well. Have not seen that version but the German version is a creepy picture, certainly better than "Them." Try this
review.
review.
Missing firepower
I caught a European film called "Them" on DVD this week. (You can tell it's in Europe because no one ever takes a bath.)
It's about a couple staying in their country home being terrorized by masked assailants. The couple gets brutalized during a night of terror.
About halfway through this flick I turned to a friend and said this story couldn't really be done in the US.
He asked why.
"Because the man would go to the closet, pick up his shotgun, shoot the first hooded hood and the rest would flee ... pronto."
He agreed.
Hurrah for the Second Amendment.
By the way, the movie was a disappointment. Apparently it was a big hit in Europe and it has some decent scenes, but it lacks punch.
It's about a couple staying in their country home being terrorized by masked assailants. The couple gets brutalized during a night of terror.
About halfway through this flick I turned to a friend and said this story couldn't really be done in the US.
He asked why.
"Because the man would go to the closet, pick up his shotgun, shoot the first hooded hood and the rest would flee ... pronto."
He agreed.
Hurrah for the Second Amendment.
By the way, the movie was a disappointment. Apparently it was a big hit in Europe and it has some decent scenes, but it lacks punch.
Friday, June 6, 2008
All good things ...
Vacation at an end and I am on the way home. Blogging will resume in force on Saturday.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
In a cloud of smoke
Odell Thurman is a very gifted football player, one of the best UGA defenders in a long time. He had the makings of an NFL star, a kid who was going to have a long career and make a lot of money.
However, apparently he is also an idiot.
Let's hope this story is wrong.
Thurman suspended again?
However, apparently he is also an idiot.
Let's hope this story is wrong.
Thurman suspended again?
Handy dandy Internet
Forty-nine weeks out of the year the Daily Citizen web site is mostly extra work for me. But when on vacation it's awful handy to be able to scan the headlines to see what's going on at home. I love the feel of an old fashioned newspaper, but this Internet thing may just catch on after all.
Gone fishin'
Spent the day on the Gulf of Mexico Monday and came back with 160 pounds of fish. King Mackerel. Red Snapper. Black Grouper. Red Grouper. Mangrove snapper. Gonna eat well.
Threw back a lot of other junk fish and a trio of irritated sharks.
Fished off of St. George Island -- my home away from home -- with an excellent guide. If you're this way and want to dip a line, ask for Capt. Charlie Logue. He charters off the island at competitive prices and you WILL get fish if they are to be had.
The weather has been perfect.
Not too windy when we went out, but I still had the rocking motion of a boat when I went to bed last night. Stabilized by this morning. Weird.
The fishing itself was great fun but muscles I didn't know I had are now aching.
(Note: Be very, VERY careful were you prop that rod when reeling in an uncooperative 15-pound fish.)
Threw back a lot of other junk fish and a trio of irritated sharks.
Fished off of St. George Island -- my home away from home -- with an excellent guide. If you're this way and want to dip a line, ask for Capt. Charlie Logue. He charters off the island at competitive prices and you WILL get fish if they are to be had.
The weather has been perfect.
Not too windy when we went out, but I still had the rocking motion of a boat when I went to bed last night. Stabilized by this morning. Weird.
The fishing itself was great fun but muscles I didn't know I had are now aching.
(Note: Be very, VERY careful were you prop that rod when reeling in an uncooperative 15-pound fish.)
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