Make The Facts Fit After We're Done

A new study has compiled some statistics about childhood amputations, though hopefully we all know how such "compilations" seldom provide accurate pictures. Usually, the stat-quoters use the information to make people push some new law or new standard into place. So after reading this report, I'm waiting for the new law -- if doors are the most common cause of amputation incidents among children, the Ban Doors in America. Oh, and Ban Bicycles, Lawnmowers, etc. Let's get the Babyproof America Lobby up and running people!

I suppose I am too paranoid, maybe because I've seen to many End-Of-The-World movies, but a report about the discovery of an ancient Christian church in Meggido (where the battle of Armegeddon is apparently supposed to take place) makes me nervous. We'll be fine, right? ...... Right?

File under Ironic News: Bush Administration officials ordered to take Ethics Classes. (The article comes via a link from Tennessee Guerilla Women.) We'll all be fine, right? .... Right?

The Editor and Publisher has the story about Sen. Harry Reid's challenge to the Senate last week, indicating Sen. Reid and other Democrats have some proof that Congress and the American Public were fed a stack of lies about WMD, Iraq, etc, etc. I'm sure it doesn't really matter if the facts were faked, because our cause is Just. We'll all be fine, right? . .... Right?

News You Should Know

A reporter asked a simple question of President Bush and the answer was a telling one - the answer was "empty". Anything important is in someone else's control.

While many supervisors, administrators, or elected officials are all engaged in maintaining the status quo of corruption, private citizens continue to enforce the laws -- a task that also brings cash rewards. Gosh, what if more individuals began to think and act for themselves?

Camera Obscura - Man In Black Approaches

Ah, movies, movies, movies. My little french raison d'etre. I have some recommendations for you and some reviews too, and yes, some are leftover from the Halloween movie festival, some are not. And then, there's Johnny Cash. Shall we get to it then, oh patient ones?

First, I did watch the Showtime Masters of Horror kick-off episode, "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" and boy howdy was that a ripping good start. If other episodes, which air weekends on Showtime, are as good or better as this first one, pre-order the DVD set today. "Incident" showed off how fine a director Don Coscarelli can be and the blunt-trauma style of writing Joe Lansdale does so well. If you saw it and liked it, its worth the effort to find his story collections and novels and bring them home. The next episode of Masters of Horror is "Dreams In The Witch House" by director Stuart Gordon and based on the H.P. Lovecraft short story.

Next up, a DVD released this week that's a classic and crammed with true extras. George Pal's 1953 version of "War of the Worlds" has been carefully restored for this new edition, including the original stereo sound. The extras on the DVD include the Orson Welles radio production of 1938 that terrified the east coast, plus Joe Dante hosts a commentary roundtable, and from lead actors Gene Barry and Ann Robinson, and a behind the scenes feature, and another feature with commentary by writer/director Nicholas Meyers. This version has held up very well over the years and looks fantastic on this new edition DVD. In other words, you can check out the Tom Cruise/Steven Spielberg homage to parenting or head to more classic landscape with George Pal.

Now I know most people will be searching for the last of the Lucas-made "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" DVD -- however, let me suggest another DVD set that will make it even better. The award-winning animated "Star Wars: The Clone Wars Volumes 1-2" by Genndy Tartakovsky is action packed entertainment and takes for its story the "meat" of Lucas' backward stroll through Time. It picks up as Episode 2 ends and takes you right to the opening moments of Episode 3. It really is crucial to the overall story and is exceptionally good.

As for Episode 3, well..... like my sister Claudia said "Thank God this is over," which means she didn't like it. I did stand in line for this finale this summer, I admit it. And I loved the opening battle sequence, the scenes where soon-to-be Darth Vader goes to the Jedi HQ and literally wipes out the future of the Jedis, and that final battle between soon-to-be Darth and Obi-Wan, backed by John Williams' operatic music. That really was satisfying. And yes, I am a geeky fanboy.

Onwards.

I also love the old movies that modern audiences and critics have abandoned. This takes me to this week's favorite actor -- Paul Muni. Let me give you the short and simple here. The actor brought incredible power to the original "Scarface" as a manical killer and could also provide the acting chops to play the compassionate chemist Louis Pasteur in "The Story of Louis Pasteur." It's very hard to believe its the same actor -- and both movies are compelling, sharply made and very entertaining.

"How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man."
Johnny Cash

Ah yes, am I looking forward to seeing the bio-pic of Johnny Cash, "Walk The Line." Personally, I can't imagine how they can possibly do Johnny justice but .....We'lll see. In the meantime, on CMT on Saturday you can catch the impressive "Johnny Cash In San Quentin" concert. Johnny is The Man in this documentary. For real devotees of the Man In Black, see if you can find a copy of "Door-to-Door Killer" from 1961 with Johnny as nutcase killer. I know his music seems to be all over the movies of late, from "Kill Bill Vol 2" to "Starsky and Hutch" to "Dawn of the Dead" and "Jackie Brown."

We miss you Johnny.

These Blogs Are Made of People!!!

I want to say thanks to a few folk who have been very supportive and helpful as I unsteadily wander out onto the Web and teeter-totter about while trying to sound off about whatever crosses my small but busy mind.

Most recently, Rex L. Camino was good enough to link to my post about horror movies and politics on Nashville Is Talking, where he subbed for a weekend.

The mastheads I have used come from the kindness of The Editor, so go to her page there and urge The Editor to keep on posting since she has been absent somewhat and busy. We all wants to know more from her insights.

Some other artwork which helped launch this site came from Tennessee Jed and TJ has also been a constant and valued supporter. Much thanks go as well to Life Is A Comedy, who has been working on a Triskabiblios deal which I have yet to understand.

It's really amazing where connections get made, and amazing as well the people I've met online and off since I started this just a few short months ago. One such connection was with Juliepatchouli, who is both funny and compassionate and is mighty pretty in person too.

It's also been good to converse back and forth with folks like Mr. Silence, and so thanks to him for his work and hope you feel better soon. In fact, the entire Rocky Top Brigade has been a source of constant information, news, humor and perspectives, not to mention a great gathering place for readers and writers in Tennessee and beyond.

From somewhere out in the Web, the folks at the Stinkhorn Rodeo arrived, and have likewise added links to this Cup. The Rodeo is quite a fun place to go - I love their subtitle which reads "We put the stink in Distinction."

I do encourage you to visit all the links on this page, as all are good reads. I am still building this blog and have far to go. It's good to find so many people who are getting their viewpoints and thoughts out -- I don't have to wait for a reporter or a TV camera. We share information and ideas without a lot of interference and with tremendous freedoms. It scares the bejesus out of publishers and corporate high-hats that we can talk to each other, and yes, I know it takes a lot of corporate tech for all of us to write and publish on the Web. But the opening has been made and people are everywhere.

So thanks for watching these baby steps here and not laughing where I could see it. And keep your cards and letters coming. I has yet begun to write.

TN Firm Overcharges Feds and You for Drugs

Billions of dollars in overcharges for Medicaid, for the Veterans Administration and other government agencies are to be repaid by U.S. drug companies, including Bristol, TN-based King Pharmaceuticals, which has settled and agreed to pay back $124 million. And which oversight agency caught this fraud? None. The cases are part of a suit filed under the federal False Claims Act by former King employee Edward Bogart.

The AP story is here, a U.S. Newswire press release is here, and as the Knoxville News-Sentinel notes, this story has major impact on the umpcoming Tennessee legislative committee hearings on campaign finance. The company's founder and former CEO John Gregory has already been taking heat for the millions he has funneled to the state GOP. State Dems have been calling it "dirty money".

The nationwide anti-fraud investigation by the Justice Dept. has brought settlements from King and other companies to just over $3.1 billion. One group happy by the news about King, is Mylan Laboratories, which had made a bid earlier this year to by King. But Mylan has issues to cope with on its own, facing similar complaints from Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, Wisconsin, New York and on and on it goes.

Good thing we citizens have the False Claims Act and at least some interest in the Justice Department for the fraud, the theft, the old-fashioned hijacking of tax dollars to benefit big business and the Republican party.

As for Edward Bogart - the man who blew the whistle on King - he stands to earn a percentage of the settlement since he used the False Claims Act with his suit. And there are other legal firms who are focusing on just these types of cases, which you can read for yourself if you search for the phrase "False Claims Act" with your favorite internet search engine.

Accusers Face El Salvadoran Colonel In TN

Colonel Nicholas Carranza, accused of torture and crimes against humanity for his role in the violence that swept thru El Salvador in the late 70s and 80s, has been living untouched and unnoticed for 20 years in Memphis, TN. However, on Monday Carranza was in court, facing charges and facing his accusers.

Questions about the murder and torture and crimes against humanity have been avoided over the last 20-plus years, as have questions about the CIA's claim that Carranza, who became a U.S. citzen in 1991, was a paid informant. The bloody destruction in Latin America in the 70s and 80s and CIA involvement has always been a murky story, no clear information, no desire in Washington to pursue it.

The lawsuit is jointly by the Tennessee-based firm Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC and the Center for Justice and Accountability. Lead counsel David Esquivel, recently named pro bono attorney of the year by the TN Bar Association stated:

“Finally these plaintiffs will have an opportunity to tell their stories of survival to the jury. They have waited too long for justice, and I am honored to represent them in this action.”

More on the story here, and the TN Independent Media Center is tracking the trial as well.

Given the nature of the crimes - wartime acts and torture - hopefully more reporting on this trial will occur.

New Year Pumpkins

Happy Celtic New Year!! Some history of the holiday is here, via MetaFilter.

Some pumpkin pics for you here, and here, and the North Carolina Pumpkin Wall is back, and a computer in a pumpkin too.

Does anyone know what year this Celtic New Year's is???

And don't forget to check out the pumpkin art from Tennessee Jed. He did a fine homage to the late great Bob Denver.

A Maze of Corruption

After some reading of various views on the crimes the vice-president's long-time associate and chief of staff "Scooter" Libby has been accused of, I thought I'd share the ones that seem most notable. The best of the bunch is here at Once Upon A Time. Albert also includes a full text of Patrick Fitzgerald's comments. The Bush administration appears to be caught in some dirty tricks, and a willingness to compromise national security and also to cover it up.

More info is here.

The war in Iraq and current foreign policies were shaped by Libby, Vice-President Cheney, Donald Rumsfield and a few others -- a hard push toward nation-building that has not been handled well. Corruption in contracts and missing money have been noted more than once in the government's audit reports. And this just days after the U.N. announced some 2,200 companies, including international corporations such as Siemens, Volvo and Daimler Chrysler made illicit payments of $1.8 billion to Saddam Hussein's government under the oil-for-food program.

Fitzgerald has been investigating the case of the breach of national security for 2 years. The U.N. investigation by former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker has taken 18 months. How long until Americans get all the facts on this war?

Camera Obscura - Reel Scary Movies

Last week, I offered you a chance to vote on some your favorite horror movies as we take our daily steps towards Halloween. Many responded and you can read that post and their comments here.

Some good suggestions, without a doubt.

I also offered a TRUE or FALSE question for you -- More horror movies are made in the U.S. when a Republican is president. It isn't a partisan thing, it's just been sort of an ongoing debate my brother David and I have had for years. By going back and checking with dates and presidents, the Republicans win hands down. Here is a brief list to illustrate my point (for instance, I did not include the first President Bush, mainly to save space and some movies, especially in the 1950s are also science-fiction fear films, and I only listed movies most folks would know or recognize).

Horror Classics and Presidents

Herbert Hoover 1928-1932
Dracula
Frankenstein
The Mummy
Freaks

Dwight Eisenhower 1952-1961
Pyscho
The Thing
Them
Earth Vs The Flying Saucers
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Day the Earth Stood Still
House On Haunted Hill
Macabre
13 Ghosts
Black Sabbath
Black Sunday
Roger Corman's Poe movies (1960)
Little Shop of Horrors
Bucket of Blood and on and on
from HAMMER STUDIOS -
Frankenstein and Dracula features

The arrival on TV of Twilight Zone
The arrival on TV of Outer Limits

Richard Nixon 1968-1974
Night of the Living Dead
Rosemary's Baby
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Exorcist
Willard

Gerald Ford 1974-1977
Jaws
The Hills Have Eyes
Suspiria
Rabid
The Omen

Ronald Reagan 1981-1989
Scanners
Videodrome
The Fly (remake)
The Thing (remake)
Poltergeist
Freddy Krueger movies
The Shining
Friday the 13th movies
Halloween sequels
Hellraiser
Re-Animator
Day of the Dead


G.W. Bush 2000-2008
The Ring
The Grudge
Land of the Dead
House of 1,000 Corpses
Queen of the Damned
Resident Evil
28 Days Later
Jeepers Creepers
Dawn of the Dead (remake)

Starting this Friday on the Showtime Cable Network, they are offering some of the best of the horror genre's writers and directors a chance to scare you good in one-hour specials. The first airs tonite,"Incident On and Off A Mountain Road," written by a real master of horror, Joe Lansdale, and directed by the creator of "Phantasm" and "Bubba Ho-Tep" (which Lansdale also wrote).

You can find a full rundown of the movies and the air-dates at thee "Masters of Horror" official site. Future episodes include directors Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Joe Dante, John Landis, Takashi Miike, Mick Garris and a host of fine writers like Lansdale and David Schow.

The Ethics Waltz

As the state circles around and around real reform for Ethics or Lobbyists or TennCare, the finger-pointing continues -- "He/She is worse than I am!" Truth is, all legislators are suffering from a lack of public confidence and an over-abundance of influence of Lobbyists. Take the following from the state Democratic Party newsletter:

"The Tennessee Republican Party shot itself in the foot last week with a clumsy attack on State House Majority Leader Kim McMillan. The story goes like this: GOP Chairman Bob Davis sent a letter to McMillan, a Clarksville Democrat, alleging a conflict of interest because the law firm where she works represents an East Tennessee utility seeking state regulatory approval. Aside from the fact that no conflict exists, Davis failed to take into account that a hostof Republican lawmakers have day jobs that actually do pose potential conflicts with their legislative duties.

-- Among them: State Senator Mark Norris, a Collierville attorney who represents hospitals before the state Health Services and Development Agency.

--State Representative Glen Casada, of Franklin, who introduced legislation to benefit his employer, a unit of drug maker Schering-Plough Corp;

-- and State Representative Joey Hensley, a Hohenwald doctor who filed a bill to put more TennCare money in the pockets of physicians despite the fact that his medical practice collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from the program over the years. Norris, in a report by the Commercial Appeal, seemed perturbed by Davis'attack and acknowledged some legislators' day jobs will intersect with government from time to time. Unless the state wants to shift from a citizen legislature to a professional legislature, well have to continue to deal with these issues, Norris said."

I love that last sentece -- "Unless the state wants to shift from a citizen legislature to a professional legislature ...." Sure seems like the Professional Politicians are what Tennessee has and the concept of a "citizen legislature" is scoffed and derided. "Why, Joe, imagine how much a new member would have to learn about how business is done?"

Newsflash - the public does know about how business is done -- the so-called "Tennessee Waltz" FBI probe is one of several on-going into business-as-usual in government, linking with the FBI probe of law enforcement statewide called "Operation Tarnished Shield" and the on-going FBI probe into the former Sundquist Administration.

It DOES NOT matter which party has members under review, and sadly, I don't think the voters give one hairy rat-tail of the outcome. Voters know their voices are ignored and unwanted. The ever-decreasing voter turnout shows they understand their votes soon do not matter.

Somehow, the notion that a Campaign Contribution is an act of exercising the Rights of Free Speech has taken root and is flowering across the country. It's a critical mistake.

Hamblen Taxpayers Lose In Media Spin - Again

Hamblen County taxpayers got stuck once again with a new and ever-expanding schools funding bill, though the local media cheered the barely-approved costs by a razor thin margin. The spin says the state gives all and Hamblen taxpayers don't give enough. The spin says costs are matched by donations for three years. But what that means is after this short period, the full funding costs will fall squarely on the local taxpayers.

Commissioner Linda Noe pegs the problem in her web log. Here is an excerpt from her post about this issue:

"There will be, and has been, "spin" galore about the ELL teacher situation. As Commissioner Phillips pointed out yesterday, if the school system had followed the BEP funding guidelines in this area (11.5 teachers), we would only be 2.5 teachers short of the 14 that will be required for ELL students in 2006-2007 instead of being 6 short! Another item that the Board likes to "spin" is to say that the state/local BEP funding doesn't cover the full costs of these ELL teachers in Hamblen County.

Well, the fact is that the state provides 62.7% of the BEP funding for these teachers and Hamblen County provides the required BEP local funding match of 37.3%. The school system says that this level of state/local BEP funding doesn't cover its teacher and benefit costs. What is not mentioned is that Hamblen County provides additional funding over and above the required BEP local funding match of 37.3%. Hamblen County provides approximately $5 million dollars in additional funding above the required match and has done so for several years through maintenance of effort provisions. And on top of the $5 million provided above BEP local match requirements, Hamblen County also provides additional money to the schools every year through the payment of school construction debt on behalf of the school system---principal and interest payments that are paid from the county's debt service fund. (If you hear it said that the school system helps pay the school construction debt, that is correct but only to a small degree. The school system agreed years ago to contribute $500,000 of its BEP money to help in the payment of the huge school construction debt that was incurred by the county with the recently completed $35 million school building program--this $500,000, however, does not begin to cover the principal and interest costs that the county incurs and pays each year for school debt outside of the BEP and school budget.)

There will be a dozen different and carefully worded explanations for the current "crisis" and shortage of ELL teachers. Putting all this "spin" aside, the simple fact is that the school system shorted this program area for at least two years and has now put together a plan to start a brand new school for "newcomers" --a plan that will involve bussing 120 students from all over the county to and from a site at Walters State with loss of instructional time and ever-rising costs to the local taxpayers in future years."

The bottom line is, a handful of long-time commissioners approved a funding nightmare, which will only continue to grow the county's budget woes and sticking it to taxpayers. With the current priority the county had previously given Education Costs - providing over 85% of the county's entire budget alloted to one agency - it is never ever, ever enough. As Superintendent Dr. Dale Lynch likes to say "Let me assure you" .... however to me this cost to the county taxpayers continues to soar higher and higher.

American Troops, Not War, Supported

I'm sure you've noticed them, those magnetic yellow ribbons stuck on the backs and sides of cars and SUVs and trucks, which read "Support Our Troops." It seems a significant precision of phrasing that Americans have found - these ribbons do not say they "Support The War In Iraq" or "Support The War in Afghanistan". Certainly Congress has given approval for the war in it's constant funding of the war's cost, regardless of any public posing they may take with the media. But Americans have chosen their words wisely, it seems, and carefully.

U.S. Troops are also leaning on that support, though their morale seems to be in an ever-weakening state, some due to the usual military confusion and incompetence, but they have also taken to the blogging world and their stories provide intimate details and a picture of a military campaign that seems to be losing traction.

Operation Truth has been a firm chronicler of the experiences of vets from Iraq and Afghanistan and has detailed information about the slipping morale.

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff at the State Department, in a speech last Wednesday, noted the harmful nature of a "secret cabal" making foreign policy decisions at the White House and the dangerous nature of American's secret or "flummoxed" strategy in the war.

"....my army right now is truly in bad shape – truly in bad shape. And I’m not talking about the billions and billions of dollars of equipment it’s burning up in Iraq at a rate 10 or 15 times the rate its life cycle said it should be burned up at, but I’m also talking about when you have officers who have to hedge the truth, NCOs who have to hedge the truth. They start voting with their feet, as they did in Vietnam, my war. They come home and they tell their wife they’ve got to go back for the third tour and the fourth tour and the wife says, uh-uh, or the husband says, uh-uh, and all of a sudden your military begins to unravel. And the signs are very concrete right now that the Army and the Marine Corps – to a lesser extent the other services because they’re not quite as involved in the deployments that we’re talking about here and the frequency thereof, the op tempo as we say it – problems are brewing."

Also worth noting is Brent Scowcraft's scathing view of our lack of military strategy:

"The neoconservatives -- the Republicans who argued most fervently for the second Gulf war -- believe in the export of democracy, by violence if that is required, Scowcroft said. "How do the neocons bring democracy to Iraq? You invade, you threaten and pressure, you evangelize." And now, Scowcroft said, America is suffering from the consequences of that brand of revolutionary utopianism. "This was said to be part of the war on terror, but Iraq feeds terrorism," he said."

And most assessors see the U.S. stepping now into yet another country, Syria.

How Much Is This Blog Worth?

I linked to this post via Crooks and Liars, submitted the URL and lo and behold, this Cup Of Joe Powell has cash value!

My blog is worth $6,774.48.
How much is your blog worth?

After only some three months, and over 6,000 page views, I'm glad to mark this a decent start.

Thanks to all of you for reading along! And get ready to see some ads and donation opportunities!

Camera Obscura - Name Your Favorite Horror Film

NOTE: The Editor graciously created the masthead for this post and for Halloween, and I cannot express enough gratitude for her time and her work. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. Now: you got some readin' to do!! UPDATE: Fear not if you missed the special Halloween Masthead -- it will return later this week!!


What terrifies you? Is it something flickering past your vision at about 24 frames-per-second? A tale of horror made into a movie? Then you are in the right place and you have a job here. Since the Halloween holiday is approaching, I want you to tell me the movie you rate as The Scariest.

I understand that in these times, horror may appear in the form of a liberal-media, or the skull-faced grin of Tom DeLay's booking photo, or what your children really think of you. However, this place is for movies and I dare you to think of it - what story, what movie has permanently inked itself into your brain.

I am a bona-fide, deep-dyed fan of horror movies. When I was a wee lad, perhaps 4 years old or so, a neighbor near our home kept a pet crow which was almost as tall as I was, jet black feathers and empty, shining black eyes, and clawed feet that seemed like the fingers of death. Said crow and said clawed feet often decided my wee 4-year-old head had something it wanted. It got so every time I went out to play, this violent, flapping shadow fell from the sky and began pecking and digging at my skull. Why? I really don't know. My mother tells me she "had a talk" with the neighbor about it, but my only memories are of the nightmare thing on my head and deafening flapping of its wings.

About two years later, I watched my first Hitchcock movie - yes, "The Birds". It was on television for the first time and I had no notion of how Hitchcock could make a movie crawl into your mind and your fears and scare the bejesus out of you. I remember watching that movie between the quivering wee fingers of my hand -- but once I started, I could not stop. Lucky I didn't soil my garments. But that heart-pounding fear I realized after a day or so was somehow "contained" by the movie frame. I could be there at the very edge of pure horror - but I was really safe. The 'bird apocalypse" was real in the movie - and nowhere else. But I had been transformed into a creature who loved scary movies.

I grew up near Nashville, where a scary movie show would play hosted by a fellow named "The Phantom of the Opry" called Sir Cecil Creape and Sir Cecil and I became pals of that horror movie experience. Many of the movies I could easily laugh away, but not all. One of my early favorites which just got to me was the black and white thriller "Fiend Without A Face," where aliens have some hapless humans trapped in a house and the aliens are invisible. Yet when they do finally appear, they are brains with twisted spinal cords attached that could leap huge distances and strangle you to death. They break through the boarded-up windows and go after said hapless humans. More than once, the Hero takes a small hand-axe to these puppies and black goo spurted out -- years later these images re-appeared in movies like the original "Night of the Living Dead" and even "Eraserhead."

Weaned on 50s horror and sci-fi, the 1960s my were macabre childhood - enriched by the classic Roger Corman stories of Edgar Allan Poe, by the Hammer studios brilliant casting of Peter Cushing and Christopher in almost every movie they made, then there were the Italians, Mario Bava and Dario Argento. And George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" introduced me to a whole new concept - the Dead rising in endless numbers to feed on the Living. Zombies. Ahhh, zombies. Romero brilliantly exploited the undercurrent of the world as it was - one culture or society rising up to consume and eliminate another society.

The 1970s were a heaven. No remake can ever have the insanely, heart-stopping, inescapable terror of his "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Unlike the pitiful remake, director Tobe Hooper made the normal humans utterly unlikeable and the audience was manipulated into feeling kinship with Leatherface and his family. Family terror was all the rage in the 70s. This low-budget hit, and a few others, got their attention in Hollywood and "The Exorcist" had folks lined up for blocks and blocks around theatres (back before they were tucked snugly into shopping malls). And for the record, DO NOT watch the re-edited version issued a few years ago -- it is the original, tightly-edited movie that will scare you. The re-edits destroyed that one.

Romero today is still the best at the zombie game, and all his sequels, including this year's "Land of the Dead", are top-notch fear-fests. Through the 70s and 80s and even now, some of the best horror filmmakers remain - Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, John Carpenter.

In recent years, audiences have been jolted by all the horror sub-genres: vampires, werewolves, slashers, gore-fests, ghosts-who-don't-know-their-dead, more zombies (go Sam Raimi!!), and endless serial killer movies -- though they always seem lately to star Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.

So the gauntlet of death is thrown, dear reader -- I want to know your favorites, no matter what year they are made -- but you must confess your fears and add them in the comments here. I'll tell you which ones got the most attention or which choices seemed most interesting.

Just one more thought for you to consider - TRUE or FALSE: the best horror movies are made when a Republican is president.

Tim Chavez Reads His Cup Of Joe

Tim Chavez, a columnist for "The Tennessean" featured my blog in his column for today, regarding the idea that more discussion is needed for TennCare and my recent post about the Hamblen Democrat Party chairman Joe Moore daring to hold that very debate on the Hamblen Democrat blog.

Like more and more readers are discovering, having a Cup of Joe is always eye-opening.

Chavez has been a frequent critic of Governor Bredesen, though after the governor appeared on my radio talk show several times and our numerous follow-up discussions, I found him to be an extremely intelligent and responsive elected representative. He simply inherited a gigantic mess after eight years of irresponsible actions by the 1990s-era state legislature and former governor, Don Sundquist -- though the Bushies made him a chairman of a federal committee probing for changes to Medicare. That appointment makes zero sense.

In another column by Chavez from September 23, he notes the most vile comments regarding TennCare have come from conservatives: "Critical e-mails about my columns seeking relief for the suffering and now even deaths of disenrolled or cut back TennCare recipients have mostly come from conservatives. One reader wrote: Don't interfere with the cycle of life; people have to die."

Health care is not only a major problem in Tennessee, it is consuming the contents of everyone's wallets nationwide. And it is not an issue about which political party to blame. Too many lobbyists and lawyers are making a fortune by clouding the issues and obscuring public thought.

As I have said many, many times - the public discussion on issues in government has been cut off at the ankles here in the 21st century. The radio show I hosted on WMTN-AM was a wide-open forum for all kinds of discussion and debatewith bothe lected and appointed officials in Morristown and surrounding communities, and the listeners in East Tennessee made it an enormous success. That was until May of this year, when a new owner bought the station and yanked me off the air in mid-sentence, though this owner never once bothered to talk with me about my show or it's future goals -- all I know of this owner is he is named Fink. Really. Fink.

As of October of this year, Fink successfully dismantled the station and moved his sales staff back to his Sevierville offices -- voices silenced in Morristown and job done.

Statewide and nationwide, residents must have open and free discussion about issues or we will all suffer by its absence. I never thought I would live to see so much repressed speech and abridged rights to voice opinion in America. And the more you are intimidated into silence, the worse it will become.

The Drinks Heard 'Round the World

I was happy to note a new book available which shows the liquids we consume throughout the world and in nearly every home are truly benchmarks of civilization itself. Obviously, I have a love for the dark brown brew of coffee and how the marvelous elixir is the most healthful drink imaginable.

It's too easy to forget that the discoveries of past generations fill our lives today. Reading history is rarely an empty experience. While this book is light-hearted, it does highlight that what we drink and eat can provide an enormous entry-point for historical discovery.

The new book "A History of the World in 6 Glasses" by Tom Standage is highlighted in this National Geographic article. This story stretches from the ancient Sumerian world to America's cola drinks. As for coffee itself, here is just a sample sentence:

"Coffee also fuelled commerce and had strong links to the rituals of business that remain to the present day. Lloyds of London and the London Stock Exchange were both originally coffeehouses."

Ethics Must Be Priority In Tennessee

Serious efforts to create laws governing Ethics in the state legislature have finally gotten into some critical specifics, although there are some obvious political party disputes at work and their fears about how to conduct fundraising activities. Some of the proposals the current committee working in Nashville are long, long overdue and all lawmakers need to keep in mind that the public good is the most important aspect and political party worries are the least important.

Not only has the federal probe, dubbed the "Tennessee Waltz", brought accusations against state lawmakers, but also county officials have accused as well. When you link to this the statewide "Tarnished Shield" probe into corruption in law enforcement, citing crimes ranging from illegal drug distribution to money laundering, then our state's safety is clearly at stake.

Here are some of my suggestions for real change.

1.) One committee recommendation that should be made law is plain: elected officials (state and I would also add local officeholders, too) should not be receiving or accepting gifts, travel, free meals and entertainment. If a paid lobbyist or party official cannot use the power of logical or sound business ideas to urge support for an issue before the state, then tough. This would not prevent an elected official from speaking to a Kiwanis Club or other group, as long as no pay and yes, no meal, is a part of their appearance.

2.) All votes in the state legislative meetings and committees must be recorded and votes posted for public view. How can any resident of the state expect honesty and accountability when committees can meet in secret sessions where no vote is officially recorded? As Sen. Rosalind Kurita, D-Clarksville said, "I was disappointed that they [the ethics committee] did not address secret meetings or the legislative work schedule. And we need online access for all votes. The panel did some good work, but I believe Tennessee deserves better."

Republican Hamblen County Commissioner Linda Noe, and a few other commissioners, has kept up a steady drumbeat on the issue of Openness and Accountability in her commission votes and on her web log, and the public response has been quite positive.

State Representative Frank Buck echoes those very sentiments, noting in his essay printed in "The Tennessean" : AccountabilityA record of legislative votes should be readily available to all voters. On voice votes in committees, legislators have the choice of voting contrary to the call of the chair.

3.) End the special privileges and secrecy surrounding lobbyists. There are a few simple rules that would bring major changes. While the current Ethic Committee suggestions call for a one-year ban on moving from elected office to a lobbyist job, I say say make it longer. Make it a four-year ban, which would prevent them from having access to the legislature and their business until at least the end of one gubernatorial term. The committee also had two other suggestions that would aid in making the lobbyist influence transparent to voters and the press alike.
First, Require lobbyists to disclose any family members in state government.
And Second, Require lobbyists and their employers to disclose payments for lobbying and money spent on lobbying.

The residents of this state, whether in a business organization, a political party organization, or just a private citizen would then know how many untold thousands and thousands of dollars are being heaped upon lawmakers to influence legislation.

4.) The Ethics Committee still has much work to do, but I think they are missing a golden opportunity to enact changes that include the participation of the public in general -- a committee to review any questions of ethics violations seems appropriate, HOWEVER, this panel needs to also include two or more average residents -- not a CEO, not a state employee, not another private business club member and not someone who has already served in some elected office. A private citizen is a must, someone who would bring eyes to this process not already tinted by the view of "that's just how we have been doing business."

I'll have more later this week on the issue of the endless political party fundraising in Tennessee and how that money needs to be tracked.

Your comments and suggestions on this are most welcome here. This is YOUR state and without your voice, true change will never take place.

Camera Obscura - Now Playing

Let's hit the good news first - of all the movies currently available in theatres right now, the best-reviewed, most audience pleasing movie to watch remains the action-comedy-sci-fi adventure "Serenity" by writer/director Joss Whedon. My previous review is here, and add another fine American endorsement from Stephen King. Go see it, or you will regret missing a marvelous adventure on the big screen.

If the kids are clamoring for a movie, you can't go wrong with the clay-mation comedy adventure of "Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit." The hilariously funny duo have been stars of several short films and the arrival of their big-screen epic is a first-rate movie for everyone. It is one of the few movies of the year that is earning nationwide praise from critics and audiences. I mean, c'mon -- there's a Were-Rabbit in it!!

A new arrival this week is from writer Richard Kelly ("Donnie Darko") and the hit-and-miss director Tony Scott. Kelly's writing is the definition of quirky and Scott, the director, is the definition of "hold the damn camera still, would ya!!! Please, pick a shot!!!" Their collaboration is based on the real-life female bounty hunter, "Domino." The cast includes Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Lucy Liu and Christopher Walken and that means plenty to oddities will get trotted out in a fictional story about a real-life person. It seems like it should be a lot better than it finally appears. I blame Tony Scott,, who seems to have attention deficit disorder.

Much to my surprise, Scott has made some excellent movies in the past and some real junk too. Of his most recent, I have found the grim story of a soldier of fortune seeking to find a reason to live in the very underrated "Man on Fire." Here, the jumpy Scott camera helps blend the past and present in a psychological fable held together solidly in place by Denzel Washington and the young Dakota Fanning. This revenge tale is at times brutal and bloody, but a very human story is the heart of this movie.
As for "Donnie Darko," it is one of my favorite movies of the last 10 years. Ignore the Director's Cut version now on DVD and go for the original version. The movie is a real shape-shifter, crammed with hilarious cameos by Patrick Swayze and Drew Barrymore and will keep you guessing from beginning to end. All the performances, the music, and the emerging examination of a wealthy suburb's strange and dark underbelly make this a must-see.

Why did I like the original better than the re-edited "director's cut" -- simple -- the original doesn't spoon-feed the audience with over-explanations of all the mystery and oddity inherent in the film. I enjoyed taking part in the effort to make the movie fit into one single complete explanation. The remake just gives away too much of those moments best left to mystery, so that is truly becomes a haunting tale you'll find yourself wondering about long after it ends.

Do you have a favorite movie you'd like to mention for future reviews? Is there a movie you can't find but want to locate? Just add your comments here and I'll be glad to help - it's what I do.

High Gear and In Reverse

About two years ago the writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. came to the University of Tennessee and for a few days I was very excited about the idea of seeing him in person and listening to his comments. However, by the time the day of the even actually arrived, I decided to stay away. This may be hard to explain, but I'll try.

The thing is - I treasure his words and his writing. In retrospect, maybe I should have gone. But there's the real person of Vonnegut but there's another Vonnegut too - the one who has been in my imagination since I first read his books back in the mid-1970s. His work and his words are a major reason I decided it wasn't crazy to want to be a writer (it is crazy, of course, but "so it goes'). I love that in "Breakfast of Champions" he has childishly scrawled drawings to emphasize his words. And he appears as a character in this story and maybe that's another reason I did not want to have to deal with the real-life Vonnegut -- I know and am a lifetime friend of the imaginary Vonnegut in my head and I am loathe to think of tarnishing that Vonnegut with the pesky intrusion of a real-life person. In other words, why fix something that isn't broken.

His books and his essays express something I have seen myself: this country has gone cuckoo. I read recent interview with him in the Globe and Mail as he marks his 82nd birthday, and he still has the skill to express that idea succinctly:

"I have a huge disappointment about what this country might have been instead of what it's become," he says. "You forget there was something great about the Great Depression. The president was Franklin Roosevelt, who cared generally about all of us. And things were getting better -- talk about audacity, giving women the power to vote, in 1919. It took a while for even women to adjust to it. Only now are they really getting the feeling of it. And then after the war when the civil-rights movement came in, that was exciting! So there were these huge improvements, where we were becoming what we always imagined ourselves to be. No shit, becoming that!"

And as always, Time is still playing tricks with him and with all of us:

"Where is home? I've wondered where home is, and I realized, it's not Mars or someplace like that, it's Indianapolis when I was nine years old. I had a brother and a sister, a cat and a dog, and a mother and a father and uncles and aunts. And there's no way I can get there again."

From the 1930s up until the Nixon presidency, we were a nation compelled to reach beyond our grasp, innovators in both the social and political arena, determined to improve the human condition, confident that the people who called this country home could achieve anything if we worked at it in unison. Like many others, I thought when we spotted the corruption of Nixon's paranoid leadership we could continue. But doubt took root and despair seemed to flower. We seemed to bemoan the loss of a failing set of institutions and by 1980 had traded in self-reliance a pretend nostalgia, for a dream of an imaginary world on some Reagan-government illusion of an ephemeral and unreal "City on a hill."

As Vonnegut might say, we elevated diddley-squat to the top and called it Moral and Just.

Now, poverty is growing faster and faster, mediocrity is championed, and the battered and beaten American spends more time watching the repeat newsreel with pretty flashing lights and constantly moving newstracks that follow the latest celebrity scandals and fads about food and clothes. We are distracted and the ill-thought delusions of our leaders have us focusing on fear and doubt and the idea that the government is the only solution to any issue. Harried by the day to day chase to make ends meet, we are left with surface ideology while those in power make changes to firmly grasp the controls we once kept for ourselves.

Bickering clowns take center stage for our amusement while small cliques of obsessed and wealthy megalomaniacs continue to dismantle hope and reason. We are back to debating issues long since resolved - should the theory of evolution be actually taught in Science classes or should Science be tossed away for Bible stories. Like Vonnegut, I bemoan the loss of an America where students and teachers debated Science and Theory in the schools and students and teachers debated the aspects of Faith and Creation in church.

Is church membership now the priority for Supreme Court Justices?

How is it that the American community now thinks the Constitutional right of Free Speech only occurs on a street corner and employees and writers do not have those rights? Seems just a simple reading of our Constitution shows the right of free speech is applied to every citizen of this country.

But this country seems more confused with every passing day.

"Poo-tee-weet!"

TennCare Debate Needs Open Minds

As shown in the Sunday edition of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, some politicians and some newspapers are stunned that people in our state our unhappy with TennCare and the current reforms in place. That's the polite version. More, truthful version: Hamblen County Democrat Party chairman Joe Moore is holding an open debate on TennCare on the party's blog and some are fearful of such debate.

You can link to the Hamblen Democrat blog and the TennCare forum here, which includes the story from the KNS. Or go here for the KNS story. After reading, maybe you'll wonder like me why the newspaper printed this - news value or just a chance to harrass Joe Moore? Is it wrong for a local political party member to voice dissent with his own party?? State Democrat "communications" director Will Pinkston thinks dissent is wrong.

Energy Hog Feeds On You

The GOP muscle in Congress has given the oil companies more tax breaks so they don't have to spend their record profits to invest in the creation of more oil refineries in the U.S. The House vote was supposed to take 5 minutes, but was held open for 50 minutes so they could get passage of a bill, which hopefully the Senate will kill, but more likely they'll just trim the edges. It echoes the rule-twisting vote in July on CAFTA.

"2004 profits for ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, and ConocoPhillips broke records across all industries. In fact, last year, at over $25 billion, ExxonMobil booked the highest profit of any company in any year in history. Yet, oil company memos show that they made part of these profits by constraining refining capacity to drive up prices. These record profits have not only more than doubled CEO salaries, but they have driven up political contributions, a staggering $450 million in the past six years. So, while consumers are paying at the pump, oil companies are getting billions in tax breaks and sweetheart deals from the Bush administration and their congressional allies." via American Progress.

Add to this the most idiotic public service campaign I've ever seen from the Department of Energy, with the stupifying and ridiculous "Energy Hog" as emblem of conservation. It's aimed at children, ages 8 to 13, as if THEY were the ones who are the Real Power behind high energy prices. It is sponsored by the DOE, Home Depot, The North American Insulation Manufacturers, the National Fuel Fund Network, as well as about 20 state energy offices.

The hog is chowing down - on you.

Camera Obscura - And Now, The News

First, the news - "Stately Wayne Manor" is still standing. Early reports cited that the house once used as the home of the 60s TV version of "Batman" had been gutted by fire, but turns out the fire destroyed another house.

In other superhero news, it turns out that Nicolas Cage is Superman's father!! Yes, Kal-El is a member of the Coppola family. I wonder if that means Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes expected child will be named Lex Luthor?

David Straithairn as Edward R. Murrow

Since we're on television topics, one movie on its way to theatres now captures a tense and terrifying time, which echoes our own current plight - a nation terrified and the media's fear to speak opinions outside the approved talking points. "Good Night and Good Luck" is a tour de force based on journalist Edward R. Murrow's volatile collision with a legendary liar, Sen. Joe McCarthy in the early 50s. Actor David Stratharin brings life to Murrow thought McCarthy is instead played by himself via existing TV footage. Smoky, jazzy, and black and white, the movie by director/actor George Clooney has a little budget and rave reviews.

As the current networks struggle to deal with the losses of all its major news anchors - Jennings, Rather, Koppel, Brokaw - and the endless rapid-rerun cable news, Clooney brings a reminder of just how television got it's chops. Comparing the ultra-cool savvy of Murrow to today's crowd of shrill talking-heads reveals a benchmark level of intelligence and truthfulness that has somehow slipped away.

It isn't easy to make a movie about the news biz that has the knack for grabbing and audience, and one of my favorites is the 1931 classic, "Five Star Final." Made in grade-A, Pre-Code style by director Mervyn LeRoy, the movie was nominated for a Best Picture and showcased a new rising star, Edward G. Robinson. With machine-gun dialog and editing, the story follows a rotten newspaper staff as they dish up dirt on a 20-year old murder case to increase sales.

Sordid, tasteless and cruel, the newspaper operations are ghoulish and the shock of this old murder case literally takes lives as the movie unspools. Hollywood has yet to top this one and it has a hard-boiled, gritty and nearly documentary-level reality that can rattle any audience.

Job Growth Puts TN 43rd

Tennessee ranks 43rd in the nation when it comes to Job Growth, according to the latest FDIC study, as is noted in Facing South in a post by R. Neal. The state is still tops in the nation (again) when it comes to personal bankruptcy filings. As I reported in earlier posts, the unemployment rate in the surrounding ET counties has been steady at 6 to 7% or higher.

And whatever you earn now, look for more tax hikes and tax bites out of your pay. The school system wants a segregated "international" school it can't pay for, which shifts the burden to county tax-payers, and the city won't even talk about it unless the county commits to funding it. The city is engaged in a wasteful $20 million creation of a cable, internet, and phone company to be operated by the utility system -- have you seen any ads for those jobs?? Nope. Guess they already know who they plan to hire. The latest stats on Bristol's jump into the media business show it's a huge loss:
"Bristol, Virginia, operates a municipal communications utility that it launched in 2002. It’s had net operating losses and negative free cash flow each year, which isn’t surprising for a start-up.
What is surprising is the utility’s advertising, programming, and finance costs are all rising faster than expected, making it unlikely it will ever achieve positive free cash flow. It was originally funded by a $15 million revenue bond issue, then refunded in 2004 at $27.5 million, it has borrowed $14.9 million from the electric utility, and it has had operating losses (including cost of capital and interest) of $8.6 million so far." via The Heartland Institute.

And before anyone tells you different, let me state is plainly - I do promotional work for Charter Commnunications, hosting a question and answer program with Charter executives about local issues and general questions about their operations. I am not a paid employee. And yes, this blog is monitored by certain local officials who fear the facts.
That said, if anyone wants to hire me, I am available and searching for jobs, like many many others in Tennessee.

There's a Bomb in Your Mouth?

I don't know which is stranger -- the idea of telling people you have a bomb in your mouth as you attempt to rob a bank, or the picture with that story of an explosives robot probing that same dude's mouth.

Taxpayers often know their money goes down the drain, but sometimes the drain itself is a tax recipient. That is one expensive pay toilet.

It also appears that the courts are trying to figure out when, if, or how the name Bill Monroe can be used. Maybe there's a bluegrass song that can explain it all.

Since we're on the subject of music, Sen. Bill Frist somehow managed to sell off his shares of the Jim Reeve's Museum just a week before it was demolished. Sen. Frist, under investigation by the SEC for selling stocks in his daddy's company, apparently became a fan of the legendary Reeves in college and even got tagged with the nickname "sweet lips," after a line from the tune "He'll Have To Go", according to the Nashville Scene. (OK, that one is in The Fabricator section, so it's, well, you know, fabricated. But all the other ones today are real.

Supreme Cronyism

The president's nomination for the next Supreme Court justice has to be a joke, right? Or pure distraction from all the Bad News over the GOP's corrupt leadership? Maybe a distraction from the 2nd indictment against Rep. Tom DeLay?

Other than being an office-bound ally for first Governor and then President Bush, what knowledge does the nominee have about the Constitution? She's been an attorney, head of the Texas Lottery Corp., and a "pit-bull" in the Bush corner. Yeesh.

What has she done with her career?

"Harriet Miers also introduced Bush to Alberto Gonzales, who served as Bush's counsel in Austin and later in Washington, before being named U.S. attorney general.

During Bush's first term as governor, Gonzales used information turned up by Miers to persuade a local judge to excuse Bush from jury duty, a civic task that would have forced him to disclose his 1976 arrest for drunken driving in Maine. The incident was not divulged until the waning days of Bush's 2000 campaign for the White House."

Other than the achievement of knowing President Bush, this attorney isn't exactly setting the world on fire.

Which One Are You?

After the last few weeks and months of constant bickering and whining by the political parties about who is to blame for one issue or another, I think it is more clear than ever that our current two-party domination of politics is broken and can't correct itself. The constant fundraising excludes any participant not a millionaire, million-dollar fundraiser, lobbyist, or large corporate company. Too often the issue gets ignored and the argument is made that a vast right-wing or left-wing conspiracy is the source of the problem and WHOOSH -- the issue disappears as the elusive "wings" take flight.

I know there are centrists and extremists within both parties, and it has become an easy shorthand to say left, right, Democrat, Republican. Any non-party person who seeks office at any level has as much chance as a snowball in hell of just getting on a ballot. The media - large and small - won't give them a sight of their sacred backsides. Ultimately, we are a people without real choice in elections. Some 15 years ago the nation was eyeing a third party and seeing some success, but that has become a joke. The Libertarian Party has been successful in very limited areas. As voters, we are left with a shrill debate that plays more like a Third grade "Did!" and "Did not!" screaming fit.

I have friends in both parties and they too feel these constrictions, and that should concern us all.

Over the weekend, I noticed some blog folks were using a "test" from an online dating company called OkCupid (sorry, no link for you on my site) to discover their political place. Yeah, if they can get you a date then OF COURSE they can help you define your political views. Yeah, sure.

Let's be honest, here. The corruption is thick and reform is a buzz-word signifying nothing. Think I'm wrong? Then look at this page, which though written in humor, reveals the Third grade argument in clear form. And it should tell you we need some fresh options instead of the exact same debates served up again and again and again and again.

True Real Life Fake People

Some years ago, the late, great Frank Zappa called the cable channel "A&E" the "Arms and Entertainment" channel since they aired much more programming about war than the alleged "Art" in their moniker. However, Executive VP of Programming announced this week they were "the home for character driven docusoaps."

The wha? Oh, the new label for "reality shows"!! Docusoap?? I thought that cut down on bacterial infection and had a lemony scent? Maybe its a question a surgery nurse asks doctors on their way to surgery.

Seems their busting with pride at "A&E" over the success of "Growing Up Gotti", so they've given a new show to the promote the TV barnstorming duo of Jim and Tammy Bakker's son. Should have called the show "Son of PTL Lives!!!". They also plan a show about SWAT teams who do jobs that do not actually require "special weapons" or "tactical" assistance. Daring.

ANOTHER BAD IDEA
Ummm .... so OJ Simpson wants to test the waters of celebrity status, 10 years after his acquittal on murder charges, so he goes to a sign autographs at a horror fan convention called "NecroComicon"?? Should he have waited until PBS aired their retrospective on his career. PBS and fan conventions -- a way do raise tens of dollars.

CHECK OUT HER EVIDENCE
The U.S. Supreme Court decided they will hear the much-debated case of whether or not Anna Nicole Smith should inherit money from her dead, ex-husband. Will Chief Justice Roberts allow cameras for her TV show in the courtroom is my question. Maybe the Justices have a bet running on whether they're real or not. Yeah, those.

THIS CAN'T BE A GOOD SIGN

"These phones are made all wrong!!" If the picture doesn't amuse you, then check out the list of nicknames the President has for all those around him. Do your own imitation President voice as you say each fake name out loud and you'll be amused for .... well, a minute or two. (Yes, it's a PhotoShop picture.)

A Wallace Coleman Friday

Morristown native and master of the blues, Wallace Coleman, got a true education from a radio station - WLAC - whose musical influence is vast and covers many generations. Wallace plays harmonica and sings with an umistakeable voice. His band and own label, Pinto Blue Music, captures those great sounds live and in the studio. I first heard him about 3 years ago - the picture is from his show at the Rose Center - and I had a chance to interview him in January of this year. He's smooth as silk onstage, and makes that harp talk the blues as good as I've ever heard.

From his website, his bio offers a peek into the making of an artist:

"As a youth in eastern Tennessee where country & western music still prevails, Wallace Coleman was instead captivated by the sounds he heard late at night from Nashville’s WLAC….the Blues.

The sounds haunted him by day where, he says, "I would be sittin’ in class and hear the Howlin’ Wolf singin’ just as clear in my head…" It was on WLAC that Coleman first heard those who would become Blues Legends and greatest musical influences: Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters. Laying the guitar foundation on many of those recordings was Robert Jr. Lockwood – a man who, some 25 years in Coleman’s future, would play a role in his musical career.

Moving to Cleveland in 1956, Wallace caught the ear of Robert Lockwood and joined his band, the only harp player to ever join with Lockwood, and he is featured on the Grammy-nominated CD :I Gotta Find Me A Woman." But by then, Wallace was ready to step out on his own. The first two CDs I heard from him are on his own label, Pinto Blue Music, "Live at Joe's" and "Bad Weather Blues" and are always nearby my CD player. He tells a great story of grabbing a bus in Knoxville, TN on the title track of "Bad Weather Blues", and two tunes on the disc showcase his style and his band's easy grasp of cool licks, on his beautiful instrumentals of "Southern Comfort" and his own composition, "Blue Mist".

You can catch his concert schedule on his website, and keep your eyes peeled for annual concerts in east TN usually in Jan. or Feb. It don't get no better.

Good Thoughts From Iraq

I recently added a link to fine fellow from Dandridge who is serving in Iraq, Travis Stuart, and his most recent posts should make every American proud. I think he has a real understanding of what is at the heart of the nation. His comments on Sunday and Monday were outstanding. Here is a little from Sunday's post:

"I read this morning about the Peace March on Washington yesterday, and I think that is a great thing. That is Democracy at it's greatest. That it is why I am proud to defend freedom and serve in the military. Just because the President and his men say it's right, doesn't mean it is so, and these folks have the freedom to express their beliefs. Hooray for them!

In no way do I feel it is a slap in the face for the American Public to demonstrate against the war in Iraq. As I said, that is freedom, and that is what I protect."

Spend some time reading Travis comments and I think you'll find he has a good insight to our world and he can also be pretty funny too.

Camera Obscura "Serenity"

Went to the free screening of the movie "Serenity" Tuesday night, big thank you to Glenn at Instapundit and Mr. Silence at No Silence Here for making that possible. If you go to the Domestic Psychology blog, you can see me in the back row of her picture from the screening (way in back with a cap and a weird reflection on my glasses -- am I famous now??) And another shout out to marketing blogger Shel Holz for poking fun at me for my plea for tickets to the screening. Thanks for sending readers my way.

So this post is a Wednesday edition of my Friday film review, but don't miss Friday -- I'll have a special report on blues master Wallace Coleman -- yes I added him to the link list too.

I tried to nab a "Serenity" ballcap from a woman who was taking a head-count of attendees. She said "You have to know the right people to get one of these hats", so I said "I'm Joe, what's your name?" That's when she confessed she stole it from her hubby's stash, so no hat for me.

My review comes with some up front confessions -- I am a major fan of writer/director/producer Joss Whedon and his lists of writing awards ranges from an Oscar nod for "Toy Story" and an ANNIE as composer for "Lion King 2", and he has a reputation as The Go-To Man in Hollywood to polish a movie script. Most recently, he's been writing for "Astounding X-Men" for Marvel and is in pre-production for "Wonder Woman." Add to that the "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" series and "Angel," and it's plain the man loves stories about heroes. Yes, yes, I was also a fan of the abruptly cancelled science fiction TV series "Firefly," which is the basis of "Serenity" -- that's the name of the heroes' spaceship. And say this part LOUD -- STUPID FOX NETWORK. The movie would have to be a major-league mess for me not to enjoy it and a mess it wasn't. And I think anyone not familiar with the show will still enjoy the movie -- Whedon keeps humanity, with its frailties and flaws in the foreground as the world explodes around them.

One fact I know for sure -- if Mr. Whedon is given the job of telling an audience a story, whether it be drama or comedy or tragedy or fantasy or even sitcom, about 90% of the audience will get it right down to their bones. With a family history of writing for TV dating back to "Leave It To Beaver," he has a real knack for knowing how to invoke the conventions of a genre and how to revoke them.
George Lucas could take many lessons from Whedon about character, plot and storytelling. Many lessons.

Whedon has a gift for writing strong characters, showing their relationships and their humor and their wisdom and their loss. In most all his work, he creates that unique slang and short-hand communication that a group of friends will create. Even if those friends are in a far-distant future or just a local band of high school vampire slayers.

The setting is a post-civil war universe, where a former Rebel leader, Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) has moved past his losses and is now Captain of his own ship, working with an oddball crew on the edges of "civilization" with both legal and illegal business. Mal and his crew pick up a pair of fugitives - a young girl named River and her brother Simon - and the story of the movie begins with them and focuses on the Big Mystery from the TV series -- River. She has been undergoing cruel brain experiments under the evil empire of The Alliance, winners of the civil war, and Simon helps her escape. From the opening scenes on, you are dropped into this world and get some hilarious introductions to all the other characters onboard Serenity, and the story is off and running.

Whedon's brain must have a massive Melting Pot of Media, because he easily draws from it for all his work. "Serenity" has traces of the anime series "Cowboy Bebop", and "Star Wars" (uh, the first one, Part Four?), and even a whiff of "Gunsmoke". And he has a cast providing excellent performances. I'd bet cash money many viewers will leave the movie and buy the DVD collection of the series "Firefly," because these are interesting characters. They trail backstory like phermones and this is a vast world they inhabit. Whedon compresses it all into one movie much like Ridley Scott coalesced writer Phillip K. Dick's writings into "Blade Runner." Sadly, a few characters from the show slip into the background to keep the story steamrolling ahead, and the married couple aboard the ship, Zoe (Gina Torres) and Wash (Alan Tudyk) are more of a couple in the series versus the film. Again, it has to do with keeping the momentum rolling. Adam Baldwin, as Jayne, is a real standout here. The cast all have a vivid chemistry as the crew aboard Serenity, where calmness is fleeting.

I think Whedon has a solid entry here in his bow as feature film director. "Serenity" is at heart a tale about heroes. And heroes in the Whedonverse always have much to learn about what price it can exact. As one character says, "You know what a hero is don't you? It's someone that gets people killed." 'Nuff said.

Some Other Flavors or Tuesday At Last

We is past the Monday -- well it is evening, and that's close enough. Scanning back thru some of the recent posts here I know it seems as if Gloom were my only clothing and it ain't. I like to point to some of the absurd horror the good ole U S of A churns out like some 24-hour Slurpee machine, but they is other flavors and I know I'd like some so I know yer prolly hankering fer some too. (yep, been readin some old Pogo comics and I start talking like this). Sometimes the Absurd is sweet, like pie on yer birthday with ho-made ice cream (ya want cake, get it, i like pie on my birthday). Sometimes, the taste of the Absurd would elude even a description by Proust. (I saw an old Cagney move the other day, "Boy Meets Girl", 1938, and he was this movie scriptwriter who spoke so fast I wondered if he was mainlining coffee er something. Anyway, in the midst of this slapstick comedy he throws out a Proust reference and I wondered what in Sam Hill did the audience make of that in 1938. It's a dang funny movie though, especially if yer like me and up at 4 am and wondering what ever happened to sleep.)

Where was I? Oh yes ...here I is. Allow me to introduce you to a Web Stop I love to make, called "blogjam dot cow". It's from "across the pond" as they say, and the post of Sept. 20th has something anyone could like -- how to make the perfect chip -- which means French Fries here, unless The Gov made it illegal to say it. Man, oh man, do they look good!! The dude here has some serious zeal in the kitchen. Once he had a wild game cookout and posted all the details and I was slobberin' fer some grilled zebra and spicy locust chow. (Jes' say the phrase blogjam dot cow and you'll smile some).

He also is The Brain behind one of the most omni-present items to be found on the Web: Cat Pictures. He has a great site called the Random Kitten Generator, which means lots of cat pics. And so far, it has passed over 100,000,000 page impressions. And check out his Cats In Sinks -- yep, jes' like the name says it is. There's also his Animal Portal, which is great for kids and also includes the sounds each animal makes. I never knew what a lemur from Madagascar looked liked much less how it sounded, so I loved clicking on that one over and over. My neighbors musta loved that. Little bugger can really howl and hoot. And if you do nothing else, you'll find his short film of what Neil Armstrong really said when he landed on the moon some of the filthiest stuff a NASA man ever said.

Here's two of the 100 quotes from the profile of blogjam dot cow's creator:
26. My first proper job was working at McDonalds on Saturdays. I was fired before my trial period had expired for shooting the manager in the face with a mayonnaise gun. It was not an accident.
AND
28. I was once given a morphine suppository.

Since we are on the Other Continent, why just looky here at what has happened in the old Soviet Union -- they've discovered that sex makes ya feel "healthy, cheerful, strong, and beautiful. In other words - pretty dang good. Why, that could be the tag line fer Gold Bond Medicated Powder. Pravda has the story, so there is some kind of changes a'happenin in the ol' Russky-land. (Though I'm sure since I've linked to this page I'll end up on another watch list.)

Two more to go: This next one is courtesy of The Rodeo Monkey, who has found a vast compendium of knowledge about Sock Monkeys and Space Monkeys and even, yes, a Space Sock Monkey. There's pages of stuff here to read while yer boss ain't looking, from the Able to Zira and beyond.

(Oh and since I did not add this note before, I will add it here -- the new Masthead at the top of the page was created by The Editor, that saucy wench, whose patience and skill about computers I can nearly eliminate in seconds flat, so thanks fer the banner, Editor)

And jes' cause I asked him, Tennessee Jed made up one of those photos that jes' make me laugh. Jed says there's half a bajillion like 'em on Google if ya go searchin', but this one here is pure, Grade-A Jed-Made. I like this picture, cause when I was a kid, this feller was jes' a goofball inside MAD Magazine -- and hey, looky, he grew up and became President!!

Pictures Tell The Story

Tennessee blogger 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera has a knack for images and facts that can make an strong impression. Such as the one titled Where Was George? Even a casual observer of news reporting would remember the W.'s constant rollout of supplies and assistance in Florida during a re-election year. And the massive federal effort ahead of Hurricane Rita. However, casual observers also know where he was when Katrina hit - pickin' and grinnin'.