Weekly Best of Tennessee Blogs

Covering a world of topics, from the primary campaigns, to health care, the following is provided courtesy of R. Neal at TennViews:

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: SC exit poll results here and here

• 55-40 Memphis (a new addition to the blogroll and roundup): Dilemma: So, short of something drastic happening to make me wrong, I predict it's going to be a long, painful slog to November -- and (at best) a nailbiter election night.

• Andy Axel (at TennViews): America 2001-2008: Enter The Bush Leagues: Not even the Reagan Revolution or the Contract On America was as successful at creating so much ruin in such little time:

• Aunt B. (another new addition to the blogroll and roundup): Who Owns Tennessee’s Women?: Do we have the right to decide for ourselves what happens to our bodies or are we just walking condos, with the State acting as mostly-absentee landlords.

• BlountViews: Blount GOP to back Ron Paul?: What's not to like?

• The Crone Speaks: Are TN’eans/All Progressives Falling for the Symbolic Vote, or Do They Want a Real Leader?: The current state of our union does not afford voters the luxury for a symbolic vote. Voters should be considering the state our country is in, and which candidate has the most progressive platform to lead us out of the dire straights the previous administrations have placed us.

• Cup of Joe Powell: TV News Covers 'Baloney' In Campaign For President: Does the news matter to anyone anymore?, and Your Communication Is Not Yours Anyway: The argument that only the guilty need be concerned about this type of constant surveillance is an argument which has neither merit nor logic., and A Vast Database of Deception: And sadly, the general response to the report is a rather exhausted yawn. "It doesn't even matter anymore," said a friend of mine.

• The Donkey's Mouth: The $9 Trillion Bear in the Room: The fact of the matter is, however, that were it not for Democrats at the table there would not be a stimulus package.

• Enclave: Infrastructure? Who Needs Infrastructure?: Cost to fix these hazards: $1.6 trillion., and Bredesen's TDOT Welcomes Bush Transportation Chief in Support of Toll Roads: The traveling medicine show designed to pull public funds to private coffers (George W. Bush's prime directive) has come to Tennessee, and our so-called Democratic administration is embracing it with open arms., also Bubba's Brutality and Obama's Egotism

• Fletch: The Sand Man, and Afternoon Walk

• KnoxViews: Milestones unnoticed... (on KnoxViews anniversary), and a funny flashback from a reader (and RoaneViews co-conspirator), plus mark your calendars, Seymour Hersh Speaking at UT, Feb 6th

• Lean Left: Lean Left: The question now is where are the front runners? Why are they not in DC, right now, holding a press conference where they clearly state that they will be supporting the filibuster of this cowardly provision., and They're just politicians: They aren’t going to save us all with a well timed legislative victory and a cheery wave to the camera. Every single one of them will, at one point or another, betray something you consider vitally important to get something else, usually something you think is ridiculously over-valued. (as they say, read the whole thing...)

• Left of the Dial: Maybe in South Carolina...: But something tells me that unless Oprah campaigns in Tennessee and starts giving out new cars, he won’t see the same numbers here., and an Information Highway Road Trip

• Left Wing Cracker: THIS is why I'm for John Edwards , and in case you missed it at TennViews, A tale of two legislators

• Liberadio (another new addition to the blogroll and roundup): We use these too: If "ES&S iVotronic" and "paperless touchscreen voting machines" sound familiar to some of you it’s because 17 out of 95 counties in Tennessee use these machines and, if things don’t go well next week, we’ll be using them again in the November election., plus Our Money’s Already Spent

• Loose TN Canon: The albatross of Iraq around McCain's neck: John McCain is a hypocrite. During Clinton's presidency, he argued vehemently to bring the troops home from Haiti and Somalia - regardless of the consequences.

• NewsComa: Anthem Of Change: It backfired. The whole Hillary/Bill wrassling tag team blew up in their faces yesterday when Barack Obama beat the tar out of the two. , and I Have Some Time To Figure Super Tuesday Out: I only have one vote. And it’s mine.

• Pesky Fly: Clinton Destroying the Party: If our three Democratic candidate were steaks, they would be ribeye, t-bone, and porterhouse. Saying one cut of meat from the same cow will destroy the party is - there's no gentle way to say this - f***ing nuts., also Lost in the Funhouse: Obama's been misrepresented. ... And I really don't care much about this beyond the fact that I worry how, should they reach the general, the whiners will deal with an attack machine that took down John McCain for a lack of patriotism.

• Progressive Nashville: The right time for health care reform?: It's easy for the rich and powerful to ignore the problems of the poor, but now health care costs are tapping into profits and that means everyone's well-being is at stake., and Who will speak for the poor?: So divided has the Democratic Party become from wedge issues generated by the GOP, that its vision of prosperity for all has been all but abandoned.

• Resonance: Potpourri: I report, you decide., plus an interesting survey at TennViews: How much do political TV or radio ads affect your voting decisions?

• RoaneViews: Connected Tennessee: On the home page there is a place where you can check your Internet connection speed. There are also maps of the state by county that show that counties connectivity., and Green Development Conference

• Russ McBee: Congressional Dems cave to Bush twice in one day: The Democrats were not handed control of Congress last year just for the purpose of caving to every whim of the most unpopular president in recent history., plus: The clueless Michael Chertoff speaks: Showing your papers, removing your shoes in airports, and that Real ID nonsense do not foster security; they merely provide what Bruce Schneier calls "security theater:" the illusion of security, intended to foster a feeling of well-being, whether deserved or not.

• Sean Braisted: "You People": I knew the Clintons would attempt to dismiss the results in South Carolina as a hollow victory because South Carolina had a high black population; I didn't see Obama do the same thing because New Hampshire is one of the whitest states in the union., also: The Challenge: ...to list 10 things I like about Hillary...I'll start, and perhaps get to ten.

• Sharon Cobb: Subdued Republican Debate Allows Romney To Perform Well.: By his looks and family, Mitt Romney is straight out of central casting for the role of President. However, his acting skills have been less than up to par. ... Then there was the obligatory Hillary bashing. I guess a bunch of old, conservative white guys can't conceive that their opponent in the general election might be a black man.

• Silence Isn't Golden: South Carolina Results Live-Blog: No word yet on whether or not she'll address the loss, although she already released a statement mentioning the Super Tuesday states, and also Florida. Unsurprising, since she's already indicated that she will undermine the DNC and Howard Dean by pushing for Florida and Michigan delegates to count., also in case you missed it at TennViews, GoldnI's analysis of the WSMV Tennessee presidential primary poll.

• Southern Beale: Fred Watch: Democratic voters don’t tend to blame their candidates when they don’t win primaries; at least, I don’t hear anyone blaming Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards for underperforming this primary season. , also Not That There's Anything Wong With That: Obama's not Muslim, people.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Media Bias Against Clintons Borders on Mental Illness: I don't recall ever seeing so much overt and shameless media bias in any previous election. I may as well be watching Fox News., also Everybody But Obama Knew About Rezko, and Nashville: Hillary Congratulates Obama & Says 'We Have Only Just Begun'

• TennViews TN GOP coming unhinged on abortion amendment: The bottom line is that this is a pathetically transparent political stunt to get yet another wedge issue on the ballot for the 2010 gubernatorial election in an effort to get right-wing extremists out to the polls. Tennessee deserves better leadership than this., also Sasser: As iron sharpens iron

• Vibinc: Real life intervenes, blogging will resume shortly...

• Whites Creek Journal: Who do I vote for? (a celebrity endorsement roundup): So ultimately, the burning question of the day boils down to , "Can that fat oatmeal guy beat both fake blondes, Rick Flair and Anne Coulter?", and Oh, Great! (on not being stimulated by the stimulus package): Republicans repeatedly demonstrate that they are ethically unequipped to do anything except serve rich people, and our Democratic Congressional leadership repeatedly proves that they are ill equipped to do anything except let them and whine about it.

• Women's Health News: Best Cities to Have a Baby: This year’s winner was Portland, followed by Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver. My own city ranked 33rd, just below D.C. Among the factors weighing Nashville down...

Camera Obscura - The Oscars; New X-Files; Weirdness on TV

What are two of the most brain-bending-how-did-that-happen nominations in this year's Oscar list?

"Norbit" and "Transformers".

Still "Norbit" has the very successful pedigree of Rick Baker, who has 11 nominations over his career and six wins, including being the first person to win an Oscar for Best Makeup, for "An American Werewolf in London" way back in 1981.

Speaking of werewolves, the much anticipated and long awaited second movie from the "X-Files" appears to be centered on just that - werewolves. Well, possibly. Some just released spy pics from the set do show someone in a kinda cheesy looking werewolf mask. Maybe it's just a secondary plot point.

The X-Files creators have a solid history of making their show super-creepy and scary, and the filmmakers have said they plan for the sequel to be heavy in the scares and light in the aliens this time.

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I've watched the first few episodes of "The Sarah Connors Chronicles", a spin-off of "The Terminator" movies and I confess I have no idea what the hey is going on, due mostly to a steady stream of time travel plots. If you wish to track the many timelines offered in the 3 movies and in this new series, plus the planned future trilogy of "Terminator" movies, then you'll need some quantum nerd math power.
"Of course, as I’ve noted before, this all quickly gets absurd if the time travelers of 2032 have potentially unlimited power to keep going back and changing things — Terminator quickly becomes Groundhog Day, or at least becomes that bit from Family Guy where Peter keeps going back in time and screwing up his first date with Lois."

A most uncomfortable battle for affections does seem to exist between Sarah and the robot/cyborg sent to protect Sarah's son. Who will he like best? He's already showing signs of needing some serious therapy already.

Given the wildly improbable time traveling nature of the show, I kept waiting for Al Gore and his Vice Presidential Action Rangers to show up.


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If someone is deeply desperate to get images and details of the next "Star Trek" movie, you have options now available. The first is a web site which is supposed to be in the Federation shipyards where the Enterprise is being built. If you monkey with the controls on the 'camera feeds' you can see .... well, it looks like some dude is welding something. Yeah, wow, how compelling.

Or go here to see the teaser trailer for the movie, which again is really just shots of some dude welding.

A Vast Database of Deception

A searchable database of information on the constant, repeated and intentional distortion of facts by the Bush administration as they argued for military action in Iraq was presented by the Center for Public Integrity this week.

Their report cites over 930 instances of false information being provided the national and international worlds. And sadly, the general response to the report is a rather exhausted yawn. "It doesn't even matter anymore," said a friend of mine.

I disagree for reasons best summed up by Dan Froomkin at the Washington Post:

"And yet there are plenty of reasons why the deceitful run-up to war is not old news. For one, the war goes on. For another, government credibility remains severely damaged. And then there's the fact that the president has never really been held to account for his repeated falsehoods."

Why do we tolerate the selling out of our credibility and our history, and the dismissive attitude for the lives of American soldiers?

Within a matter of months, the current administration will leave the enormous disasters it has created for others to clean up. The administration followed it's falsehoods by boldly denouncing negative criticisms as unpatriotic or treasonous. If no accountability exists now, should America ever expect it -- at any level of society -- at all?

Your Communication Is Not Yours Anyway

Congress is poised to act again on a bad idea - giving out something called "retroactive immunity" to telecom agencies for the purposes of spying. The bill passed in Congress last August to re-write the laws on spying/eavesdropping/data-mining, though it came with a time limit, which ends on Feb. 1st of this year. So with a quiet determination, the White House is pushing for a permanent bill, as Vice-President Cheney preaches for the law's passage to a chorus of believers at the Heritage Foundation.

And now, as in August of last year, Congress really does not know what it is even voting for (or against), as Coleen Rowley notes:

"Without the facts about the scope of monitoring, what actual prior limitations or technological challenges existed and exactly what kinds of surveillance services or customer records the telecoms were providing the NSA, it's hard to know what, if any, legislative remedy is needed to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It is quite obvious, however, from various congresspersons' public statements after the midnight vote in August 2007 (before their summer recess) that few understood what they had voted for. So there's strong reason to believe that Congress itself has still not been told the truth. What Congress and the public have been told is that dramatic changes to FISA are necessary to expand warrantless monitoring of all international calls including of Americans' calls abroad.

Immunizing the telecoms' prior illegal actions in a blanket way not only sets a terrible precedent that the Constitution and the courts don't matter on the mere say-so of the executive branch, but the continued murkiness potentially covers up all kinds of other problems. Remember the FBI's rush to collect banking, credit, telephone, travel and all manner of other information about you with their hundreds of thousands of "national security letters" after 9-11? More is not necessarily better if mistakes and non-relevance are pervasive in such collection, as the Department of Justice's own Inspector General later found."

The argument that only the guilty need be concerned about this type of constant surveillance is an argument which has neither merit nor logic. And demanding, as the White House does, that "retroactive immunity" must be provided surely tells us that officials are and were keenly aware that something illegal has been done.

Monitoring and controlling communication is a priority for telecoms, as AT&T has recently announced it is planning to "filter" all the info they handle -- that means anything you search for or send out is going to be scrutinized:

"But it’s a sign of things to come: “Net Neutrality” is a hard issue to explain to most folks. But the notion of AT&T “reading your IM” is a lot easier to convey, and sure to rile folks up. This would be a tough sell even if it wasn’t an election year."

And again, an often mentioned argument that "we have no privacy now anyway" is a self-defeating and self-fulfilling prophecy.

I think what the White House is after could be better described by a term fans of comic books often use -- retcon. Retcon stands for "retroactive continuity", deliberately changing established facts and history to accommodate current trends. It's a reality shift so that reality always changes to fit the needs of the moment.

SEE ALSO: Whites Creek reports that only one presidential candidate, John Edwards, is aggressively battling the passage of the telecom immunity plan, and wonders why front-runners Clinton and Obama are quiet on the issue.

TV News Covers 'Baloney' In Campaign For President

The commentary on how television news departments are covering the race for the Presidency is certainly scathing -- but it sure isn't news to viewers. Writing for the Indianapolis Star, professor Jeffrey McCall cites several studies which reveal how little is being reported and the trend instead to air puff pieces of no consequence:

"At this time last year, Federal Communications Commission commissioner Michael Copps told a media reform conference that the broadcast media should do more to strengthen our democracy. He criticized the television news industry for giving the public “too much baloney passed off as news.”

Sadly, the evidence since that speech indicates that Copps’ critique remains quite valid. From superficial coverage of elections to hyped-up coverage of celebrity scandals, the broadcast news industry continues to give the citizenry a news agenda that degrades the conversation of democracy.

Recent studies clearly indicate the public’s disappointment with coverage of the presidential campaign. A report released late last fall from the Harvard Center for Public Leadership said that about two-thirds of the public does not trust the media’s campaign coverage. Sixty percent said the reporting is biased, and 88 percent said the campaign coverage focused on trivial issues.

The Center for Media and Public Affairs analyzed 481 election stories aired October through December on the evening news shows of the big three networks and Fox News Channel. The CMPA study showed that more stories were aired about the candidates’ campaign strategies than about their policy positions. More than a third of all stories focused on polling and the horse-race angle of the campaign.

The public wants a different kind of TV election coverage. A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that 80 percent of Americans want more coverage of where candidates stand on issues and more coverage of lesser-known candidates. This is not likely to happen any time soon. It is easier and cheaper to cover elections with a template that tells us where a particular prominent candidate is, which celebrity appeared with the candidate, the latest poll numbers, and who feels momentum. It is more sensational to show and analyze Hillary’s teary eyes than detail her policy initiatives."

Read the entire commentary here.

Also worth considering is this question - Does the news matter to anyone anymore?

That's being asked by David Simon, a former journalist and now executive producer for HBO's "Wired" TV show. Simon writes:

"Isn’t the news itself still valuable to anyone? In any format, through any medium — isn’t an understanding of the events of the day still a salable commodity? Or were we kidding ourselves? Was a newspaper a viable entity only so long as it had classifieds, comics and the latest sports scores?"

Dog Laws Hound Legislature

It took about one day for Senator Tommy Kilby to back off and offer some new spin for a bill he proposed to make it illegal to own any bull terrier type dog. Still, Sen. Kilby and others are spending time working on legislation to deal not only with violent dog attacks but cruelty to animals.


"One legislator, who initially started out wanting an outright ban on pit bulls in Tennessee, said he'd settle for strengthening penalties against owners of vicious dogs that harm others.

Another lawmaker wants victims to be able to sue in court, even if the dog attack occurs on the dog owner's property. "That's where most bites occur," said Sen. Doug Jackson, a Dickson Democrat.

Lawmakers also will consider whether to create an online registry for animal abusers, much like the sex offender registry maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and whether the state should be able to confiscate property where animal fights are held."

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"So last year, lawmakers finally toughened Tennessee's weak animal control law, which before then was essentially nothing more than a $50 fine on owners who allowed their dogs to run at large.

The new law, named the Dianna Acklen Act of 2007, abolished Tennessee's long-observed "first bite" rule, which allowed owners to escape civil liability if that was the first time their dog harmed someone.

Now, victims no longer have to prove that they weren't the first person bitten by a dog before they can sue an owner in civil court.

"It was a good first step," said Acklen's daughter, Darbie Sizemore.

"I'm encouraged they put more responsibility on the dog owner.

"My right to walk down a county road should not be infringed upon by your ability to own a dog."

She added, "Owning a dog is not a right; it is a responsibility.

"You have a responsibility to keep your dog contained on your property."

But that's where things get thorny.

The new law applies only if the dog is not on its own property.

Jackson said he's already filed a bill to correct what he says is a "crazy" loophole."

(via the Tennessean, which also has links to all the legislation currently filed and how to contact the sponsors of the bills.)

Meanwhile, The Editor has copious information on the upcoming consideration by the Knox County Commission on a 'dangerous dog' ordinance, which they will review on Jan. 28. She also has lots and lots more information about incidents involving dog attacks here.

Some critical changes certainly need to be considered to make sure the existing laws demand accountability for people who abuse animals and allow them to roam unchecked. Stronger laws and penalties, yes -- banning ownership of one breed or another based on anecdotes and personal bias, no.

One Day

Many key hallmarks in the struggle and the history of the Civil Rights Movement are based here in Tennessee. And while the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr took place in Tennessee, the state is also home today of the National Civil Rights Museum. And few realize the ideas that shaped the forces which fought against racism and injustice were nurtured in Tennessee at the Highlander Center, which continues to work today to educate and empower. A simple but profound idea rests in the heart of their founding principle -

"... the answers to the problems facing society lie in the experiences of ordinary people."

Once, a teacher I had told me that the speech given by Dr. King in 1963 in Washington was an excellent example of effective oratory. But to me it is far more than powerful words.

It is a reminder that while we have achieved much in removing the traditions of oppression, each of us must consistently act to improve our world and our country, that each of us benefits most when we seek to insure there is Freedom for all.

Weekly Best of TN Blogs

The wide assortment of what Tennessee bloggers had to say, compiled via TennViews:

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: LV Democratic Debate: The winners tonight were all the Democrats out here who want to unite to beat the Republicans.

• Andy Axel (at TennViews): "...When First We Practice To Deceive": Note the use of the word "legal." No word regarding whether or not this conduct is "ethical."

• BlountViews: Meeting of the media: A reporter's request for anonymous bloggers to reveal their identity for a story leads to some interesting discussion. More discussion here.

• The Crone Speaks: Increasing the Pool of Slave Labor: The very ugly fact is that if one doesn't work at the big-box stores at half the wages one used to make, with little to no chance of union protection, I might add, one is relegated to slave labor, with little chance of regaining the way of life one used to have.

• Cup of Joe Powell: Why Make It Illegal to Own A Dog??: Whatever made Tennessee Senator Tommy Kilby (D) think that a state law banning ownership of one particular breed of dog, a pit bull, a good idea, I do not know.

• The Donkey's Mouth: GOP leader stands against Ramsey, Mumpower: The GOP leader’s attack is the latest move that highlights demarcated lines between Republicans that voted for and against the FY 2007-2008 budget.

• Enclave: Why a President Mattered to the Civil Rights Movement: The whole debate on race and civil rights during this 2008 campaign was unnecessary and ugly and it was spurred on by the mainstream media.

• Fletch: Everywhere a Sign: Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?. Also: Exposure

• KnoxViews: GM: We need to talk (R. Neal): GM is (for now) the world's largest auto manufacturer with 246 models and $207 billion in revenues last year. They should be able to do better than this. Plus, One good thing Fred Thompson did (Elrod): I salute Fred Thompson for one thing and one thing only. He managed to waste millions of dollars from Tennessee Republican donors on an idiotic campaign.

• Lean Left: That "liberal media" at work again: Now, this is not just an obvious example of putting the worst possible spin on things - it isn't even reasonably representative of what happened in political terms.

• Left of the Dial: Fred: exit stage right: C’mon, Fred. Hurry up. Just quit the race already.

• Left Wing Cracker: This is yet another reason to support our Congressman: Today, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded grants of more than $36,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and $73,000 to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Also: If you're not a Country Music fan, then skip this post.

• Loose TN Canon: Huckabee the Theo-con... one of the most dangerous men in America: Mike Huckabee is the embodiment of the American version of the Taliban.

• NewsComa: I Write Letters: But I would rather vote for an iguana on crack than vote for you after all the stuff you've said this week. Also, We Give What We Can

• Pesky Fly: Feed the chickens: Sure, they know how much a gallon of milk costs. But only because an intern did the research and sent a memo.

• Progressive Nashville: Ay!: Lamar is introducing another bill to "protect English," this time in the workplace, where apparently we're all at risk of sudden spontaneous Spanish-speaking that will leave us unable to otherwise perform our jobs. Also: Michigan: Speed Bump or Brick Wall?

• Resonance: How Will The Right-Wing Noise Machine Spin South Carolina?: Today the GOP destroyers finished 1-2 in South Carolina. What gives? Also: Vote For the Chameleon: One of Romney's talents seems to be his ability cast his image differently depending on which audience he's playing to.

• RoaneViews: GOP control of the State Legislature: The TN GOP campaigns on the hot button issues to energize particular constituencies. That's why they oppose a woman's right to control her own medical care, wave rifles in the air, have their picture taken beside a fence in New Mexico.

• Russ McBee: White House email: my dog ate it: Destruction of federal records is a criminal offense... Also, Huckabee shows his theocratic urge: No person so breathtakingly ignorant of this country's founding should ever be considered a serious candidate to run the show.

• Sean Braisted: "Beer, Soda, Chips and Fred Thompson": His message was text-book "conservatism" and most of his speeches seemed to be an amalgamation of conservative bumperstickers. Also, Prospective Voters

• Sharon Cobb: Congressman Steve Cohen Remembers Dr. Martin Luther King On The Floor: Tuesday evening, Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, Congressman Steve Cohen went to the floor to deliver an eloquent speech about Dr. Martin Luther King. Also, One Year From Today

• Silence Isn't Golden: Obama Wins Nevada: You may be confused by that title. After all, Hillary won Nevada, 50-45, didn't she? Also, Forward This To The Obama Haters: Now understand, you normally can't even get Jews from the different branches to agree on what kind of bagels to serve at the Hillel brunch, let alone agree on major political policy. So this is truly a coup, and proof of just how bad it's gotten.

• Southern Beale: Bye, Bye Fred?: Indeed, this was the huge flaw in the Fred Thompson candidacy that gave liberals so much comedy gold from the beginning. Folks, when picking future GOP stars, make sure the candidate likes politics.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Chris Matthews' Lame Apology for Being a Sexist Creep (Video): Oh, and Matthews made the point that he has a really great show and he is a really really great guy. Also, Nevada Debate: Democrats Win. Moderators Lose.: Democrats looked good last night. The 'we're family' debate was sorely needed after the recent squabbles.

• TennViews State GOP seeks to limit medical malpractice victim's rights | TennViews: Where's the bill to protect patients from incompetent doctors and negligent hospitals? Where are the bills to improve patient safety and outcomes? Where's the bill to make all malpractice and regulatory actions public and easily accessible so consumers can make informed choices about their health care and providers? Also, Civics 101: Take your kids with you when you vote!

• Vibinc: Vibinc: Something to Consider...: We have an opportunity to vote for REAL change in the coming days. Real change doesn't come in a race or a gender, it comes in a conviction to make America all it can be.

• Whites Creek Journal: INC...Mark of the Beast: You and I have to obey the law...Not the President... Not Corporations...Just You and I.

• Women's Health News: Health Disparities A-Go-Go: Rural residents were also less likely to be added to waiting lists for organs in the first place.

Camera Obscura - The Film School On Your TV

Back in the mid-1980s media mogul Ted Turner was rightly roasted and grilled for unleashing a horde of classic movies which had been "colorized", an ugly act which truly defaced the movies and ruined their legacy. I was one of those who roasted and grilled him for such things. But now I come to praise him, not bury him in criticism.

Why?

Because of Turner Classic Movies, a bona fide treasure house of the art of cinema and the history of filmmaking.

For many years now this cable channel has been the most watched channel in my house. No colorization will be found as movies from the silent era to the modern are show uncut and commercial free 24/7. Long gone are the abusive marketing tactics of the past. TCM instead is simply the best movie channel to be found.

It's no exaggeration to say the channel is a master classroom both on filmmaking and film history. Viewers are offered a constant array of carefully preserved films, long and short, silent and sound, made in the U.S. and made abroad. In addition, there are documentaries old and new detailing the history and legacies of film directors, actors, actresses, writers, producers, studios, and the many technical innovators who have made movies what they are today.

Their recent documentary on director Val Lewton, produced by Martin Scorsese John is a good example of how the channel provides not just history but basic education on what goes into the creation of a movie. Other recent features on the channel include a selection of movies made prior to the Hayes Code censorship - movies which they also saw released onto DVD, and a series hosted by Pixar'sLassiter which featured the anime films of Hayao Miyazaki. And upcoming this month, on January 22nd, filmmaker John Sayles will host an evening of films he found greatly influential, from Sam Fuller's "Park Row" to Rossellini's "Paisan".

And once again, they offer viewers a chance to see films which have never been given much distribution by honoring the work of Charles Burnett on Monday, Jan. 21st. Burnett's most well-known movie is "To Sleep With Anger" starring Danny Glover. Burnett's movies are among the select few given the honor of being part of the National Film Registry as well.

One of his movies, which has just been released nationwide, will also air called "Killer of Sheep" from 1977 - a movie hailed not only as being great, but one of the greatest films ever made. He created the movie for his thesis at UCLA's film school, but some disputes over the music used in the movie effectively stopped it's release until 2007 when it arrived in theaters and DVD, long after it was named to the National Registry of Film. Burnett has also created a web site devoted to his first feature, which tells the story of a small family living and working in Watts in the early 1970s.


Roger Ebert writes in his review of Killer of Sheep:
"You have to be prepared to see a film like this, or able to relax and allow it to unfold. It doesn't come, as most films do, with built-in instructions about how to view it. One scene follows another with no apparent pattern, reflecting how the lives of its family combine endless routine with the interruptions of random events. The day they all pile into a car to go to the races, for example, a lesser film would have had them winning or losing. In this film, they have a flat tire, and no spare. Thus does poverty become your companion on every journey.

The lives of the adults are intercut with shots of the children at play. One brilliant sequence shows a kid's head darting out from behind a plywood shield -- once, twice, six times. The camera pulls back to show that two groups of kids are playing at war in a rubbish-strewn wasteland, throwing rocks at one another from behind barriers. A boy gets hit and bleeds and cries. The others forget war and gather around. He's not too badly hurt, and so they idly drift over to railroad tracks and throw rocks at a passing train. All of the scenes of children at play were unrehearsed; Burnett just filmed them.

They have few toys. One child puts on a grotesque rubber Halloween mask and wears it all day, and gets roughed up because, somehow, the mask obscures the fact that a child is inside it. At home, Stan works on projects, complains to a friend he cannot sleep, projects deep discouragement. Sitting at the kitchen table, he presses a tea cup against his face and says it reminds him of a feeling just after sex. That kind of tender thought has little place in his world.

I'm eager to see this on Monday night.

And far from harming the legacy and the art of filmmaking, Ted Turner's movie channel celebrates cinema as art and as entertainment in ways no other media mogul has ever done. Three cheers, four stars, and thumbs way up for TCM.

Why Make It Illegal to Own A Dog??

Whatever made Tennessee Senator Tommy Kilby (D) think that a state law banning ownership of one particular breed of dog, a pit bull, a good idea, I do not know.
[CORRECTION: The legislation would make ownership of a host of breed types illegal, saying:
(2) "Pit bull dog" means any pit bull terrier; and
(3) "Pit bull terrier" means any American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull
terrier, American bulldog or American Staffordshire terrier breed of dog or any
mixed breed of dog which contains as fifty percent (50%) of its breeding the
breed of American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American bulldog or
American Staffordshire terrier, so as to be identifiable as partially of the breed
American pit bull terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, American bulldog or American
Staffordshire terrier.]

What I do know is this - it's a lousy idea. Such ideas are often called BSLs, or Breed Specific Legislation. I say it is just BS Legislation, which does come from an animal, yes, but why would anyone want BS in their laws??

SB 2738 says even if the dog is only partially a pit bull, it would be illegal to own.

I'm happy to see several folks who blog already calling the bill out as a bad idea and a waste of time - Say Uncle, Aunt B., Michael Silence, and Newscoma just for starters (Add this list of folks opposing the bill from ACK at Volunteer Voters). It shouldn't be a crime to own any kind of dog. (Are you catching on yet, Sen. Kilby?)

What is a crime? Dogfighting - which is sadly too evident in Tennessee. As the National Sheriff's Association reported when urging Congress to toughen dogfighting laws:

"There are an estimated 40,000 professional dogfighters who sell their fighting dogs nationwide and cockfighting is multi-million dollar business. The massive, criminal network of animal fighters impacts not only the thousands of animals who are subjected to the cruelties of animal fighting, but communities nationwide and law enforcement which must address, at great cost, the crimes associated with it including illegal gambling, drug dealing and even murder.

On average, there has been a murder related to animal fighting every month this year."

A dog does not volunteer to help humans gamble on their lives. Humans force dogs into those hellish competitions.

There are a whole list of reasonable and effective ways to address a reduction in dog bites/attacks right here which I am emailing Sen. Kilby.

Here's the contact info for Senator Kilby:

District Address
118 Henry Heidel Lane
Wartburg, TN 37887

Nashville Address
10A Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0212
Phone (615) 741-1449
Fax (615) 253-0237
Staff Contact: Nadine Korby, Jeremy Davis, Research Analyst

Email: sen.tommy.kilby@legislature.state.tn.us

A Little Known Fact About The South

I'm willing to bet cash money there was a super-secret provision in the surrender agreement signed at the end of the Civil War.

What was it?

Any time a snowflake falls to the ground in any state south of the Mason-Dixon Line, any business or school or government office can declare a legal holiday.

Just one reason I like living in the South.

Jes' sayin'.

Superheroes Are Reals!!

Maybe it was that bad reality series on the Sci-Fi Channel with Stan Lee. Maybe it's because we live in the 21st Century.

Whatever the reason, They are here.

They are more than 200 people from around the world who adopt secret identities and become Superheroes. However, they call themselves Reals.

"Soon the Jade Justice finds himself hip-deep in a supply closet, piling books into a red Radio Flyer wagon. He wheels it back to the lobby, entreating the children to select a text. But the kids seem more interested in peppering him with questions. "So are you a cowboy or something?" one boy asks.

Geist kneels down to reply with a camera-ready grin, "Maybe a super-secret, space-cowboy detective!"

-----

"Last October, an organization called Superheroes Anonymous issued an invitation to any and all real-life superheroes: Come to Times Square to meet other Reals face-to-face and discuss the future of the movement. The community roiled with discussion of the invitation—was it a trap by an as-yet-unknown real-life super villain? In the end, only a dozen Reals attended, but the gathering attracted the notice of the New York Times and the BBC, which gave the budding league of justice worldwide ink."

The article with the full story is here, complete with a Google map of worldwide locations of Reals, plus there is a photo gallery.

Cheesy spandex? Sure. But the one who calls himself Jade Justice just looks cheap horror movie scary.

Blogger Battles Sprint Again and Again

Imagine your identity has been stolen - not just once - but four times and every time the same company, Sprint, is involved and sends you huge bills for an account you did not create. That's what has happened to The Editor.

Read the aptly title post here.

It's remarkable to me that this happened a fourth time, since after the third time, The Editor explicitly told Sprint to never create an account in her name without a specific response to some key questions for verification. But they did it anyway.

Sprint's response - The Editor has to prove she is once again the victim of identity theft.

The Editor writes: "The fraud packet is set up under the assumption that you, the victim, must prove your innocence. It asks more from me than it did of the criminal who stole my identity."

(Also posted at MCB)

Rat Hearts and Monkeys

I've been seeing lots of very deceptive - or at least misleading - news coverage about a science experiment where claims are made that a rat heart was 'brought back to life and began beating'. That's sort of what happened. Here's the skinny on it which explains it a bit better:

"First, healthy rats were killed and their hearts quickly harvested and attached to a perfusion system that leached away all of the normal contracting cardiac cells, leaving behind the scaffolding of the rat's heart: the vascular tree, the valves, the shape of the heart, and the fibrous infrastructure that could help orient new cells in a direction to develop contraction. It was like having a clear crystalline shell-like structure as a growth platform - a fibrous skeleton of sorts.

Next, some baby rat hearts were processed, "pureed," and the cardiac cells reintroduced into the dead rat's scaffolding. The introduced cells, when carefully nurtured with a friendly growth environment and a bit of pacing, started to beat.

But the beat, so far anyway, was hardly the stuff of a myocardial assist device. The researchers admit that the ejection fraction (the percentage of blood ejected from the heart's pumping chamber with each heart beat) for a human heart would be about 2%. (Recall that a normal human heart's normal ejection fraction exceeds 50%). While real, I have never seen a patient, must less a rat, survive with an ejection fraction of 2%. Still, the fact that the organ beat at all was pretty cool.

The experiment certainly has some indications of progress in organ regeneration and transplants, but 'indications of progress' is not a catchy news headline. So we get the Dr. FrankenRatHeart version instead.

Seems that TV news especially offers up a lot of "chopped up" and "pureed" versions of news stories and I'm left to seek facts out on my own.

I've been seeing some of the images and reading some of the reports about President Bush's trip to Saudi Arabia, where he offered the Saudis some 'smart bombs' as part of a $20 billion arms package to Middle East countries and asked them to make more oil available. Reports indicated the President has been getting a good look at how the royalty live - receiving a "a giant necklace set with hundreds of rubies, emeralds and other precious stones, holding a medallion that included a hand-painted enamel American flag and staying one night in a $3 billion hotel.

White House press secretary Dana Perino was quoted as saying "the president had a really nice time".

Well, that is nice. Nice way to play up the bling and downplay a lot of details too. Bling makes better headlines.

Other recent headlines have been about a 'dangerous threat' from boats buzzing the Navy in the Persian Gulf. As they story began to slowly come to life, it came with numerous references to something called The Filipino Monkey. Turns out the crank radio chatter has been around for 25 years, and is something of a joke, according to the Navy Times. (SEE ALSO: Knoxville Talks)

Who knew there were Filipino Monkeys in the Persian Gulf?

Salute to the Stewman and Those Who Care For Him

Today and for the last few weeks I've been awed by the powerful friendships and the compassion evident as folks from all over work fiercely to assist with The Stewman, who is battling cancer without the aid of health insurance.

Newscoma got it all started and tonite she and other friends held an auction to raise funds for his benefit. You can read about the success - and how you can help - here.

I am truly in awe of such devotion and caring and hope you can find a way to lend your support too.

Newscoma wrote today:

"Do we feel powerless about the cancer that our friend is fighting?

Yes.

Are we trying to do what we CAN to help him, things that we have a bit of control over. That’s also a yes.

We can’t make the cancer go away, but we can help him. Cancer treatment is not cheap. He is not working now because every moment is spent getting better. The cancer, my friends, is that bad.

So we are doing what the chairman of our little committee said quite eloquently last month that we “have” to do because it all we can do. And because he would do it for us.

Throughout the day, we will be putting updates about the benefit here. We want to help just a little. Are we fighting our own demons? Probably.

Are we trying to raise a bit of money for a person who has been our mentor, our friend and has lifted us when we could not do the heavy lifting for ourselves?

Yes.

BadBadIvy has committed to buy a T-shirt. If anyone in the Nashville blogosphere is interested in buying a T-shirt designed by Squirrel Queen, I will bring it to you personally within the next couple of weeks to The Sportsman’s Grill in Nashville. They are $20 a piece and they are pretty groovy. (A picture of Mabel and a Newscoma emblem is on the back of them as a sponsor.)

Information about the day’s events will be posted at the official Friends of the Stewman blog. I’ll keep you updated all day about how things are going, and if Holly and Scout are interested, will get them to live blog some of the event over there as well this evening at the FofS blog.

We are doing what we have a bit of control over because we can’t cure the cancer. But we can make it a little more comfortable for him.

So if you can, visit the site, buy a T-shirt, leave a nice sentiment for him as that blog will archive the event.

Weekly Best of TN Blogs, Plus Some Personal Commentary; Or, Go Ahead and Call Me A Liberal Then

Time again for a roundup of Tennessee blogs, via TennViews, but first a few notes on this regular weekly feature. And don't expect to see any more personal commentary on this weekly link. It just seemed appropriate this week. But I prefer to offer this roundup without comment and let you read and ponder on what's written for yourself.

First, my thanks to R. Neal at TennViews for compiling and sharing these links. Also, I was rather happy to see two posts from my blog and one I added to TennViews last week were featured. The post at TennViews on the Real ID Act found much agreement across the political spectrum, from the Right and the Left.

Also last week I noticed that my blog was added to the blogroll at the Tennessee Democrat Party blog, The Donkey's Mouth. I am happy to be included, though I also think the Tennessee Republican Party (if they have a blog) should also link here. I'm an equal opportunity kinda guy. All kinds of blogs should link here, just as I try and link to all kinds of blogs. So I added Donkey's Mouth to my links too.

And on a side note, NO ONE asked me from the TN Dems what I might think of their blog name, Donkey"s Mouth. 'Cause I really think that's not such a good name. Too ripe for parody. Just look at how the Communications Director of the Tennessee Republican Party Bill Hobbs wrote about the Democrat Party blog:

" I Always Thought The Noise Was Coming From The Other End
Welcome to the fray. That's the last nice thing I'll say about you."

At least he admits he isn't going to say anything 'nice'. Of course, that's also a reason I dropped his link in my blogroll back in the early days of this blog - a preponderance of not-niceness.

I have never been a member of either party, and have cast votes for both Democrat and Republican candidates, and even have friends in both parties and even more friends who are also not members. I have found Democrats, in my experience, to be more open-minded and tolerant and open to discussion on just about all kinds of issues, unlike Republicans who seem to have a pre-made mold which they say I either fit or I don't. So my viewpoints, and the fact that I am a starving artist type o' guy, must mean I am a demonic liberal as well. At least for those people who rely on labels to simplify their own perspectives.

Like I say, I just tend to be open minded, and I've had links to the local GOP, Democrat and Libertarian party sites since I started this blog. I had one for the TN Green Party, but it went sour about a year ago so I fixed that today. (Makes me a member of the Procrastinator Party maybe?)

I've always liked the episode of "Futurama" where the characters go to a gathering of all kinds of political parties and Fry sees a booth for the Voter Apathy Party and this conversation ensues:

"Fry: "Now here's a party I can get excited about. Sign me up!"
Apathy Party Guy: "Sorry, not with that attitude."
Fry: "Ok, then screw it."
Apathy Party Guy: "Welcome aboard, brother!"
Fry: "Alright!"
Apathy Party Guy: "You're out."

Before I get into anymore trouble with me just running on and on, let me just offer this week's roundup of Tennessee's best bloggers:

The "things are heating up and it's not just Global Warming" edition of the TennViews weekly liberal blog roundup and what the best and brightest bloggers in Tennessee are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: US Elections in Crisis: "We are supposed to be the greatest nation on earth and yet we appear to be incapable of holding an election and then having confidence in our returns."

• Andy Axel (at KnoxViews): Fred Thompson is losing to this guy?: "It speaks volumes that the hapless Thompson can't put up even a one-point victory on this lunatic..."

• BlountViews: Why they come here: "Immigrants from Mexico do not come to Tennessee to live out their lives. They come to work."

• The Crone Speaks: Economic downturn?: "So, it’s no wonder I’m looking at these reports and saying "what the f*** took you economists so long to realize the reality?"

• Cup of Joe Powell: The spelling disqualification: "Question: What's the first sign of the return of the TN State Legislature? Answer: A flurry of goofy, useless and grandstanding bills from Teh Rep, aka Stacey Campfield of Knoxville." ALSO: The good, the bad, the primaries: "...good news is that how a person votes matters more than the opinions of the bobble heads."

• The Donkey's Mouth: Tennessee Republican Party Advocating Legislator Pay Raises: "From the keystrokes of TNGOP communications director Bill Hobbs, comes perhaps a new GOP initiative -- legislative salary increases."

• Enclave: The Monster Tennessee Media Could Become : "...if his numbers and prominence start to rise, we should be as vigilant of the closing distance between media noses and Mr. Thompson's own bum." ALSO: Extensive coverage of the Davidson Co. election office break-in and identity theft.

• Fletch: Long-haired Middle-Aged Dude and the Sea: "This outing was my first on a small sailboat on the open ocean..."

• KnoxViews (Bill Young): The Democrats in Michigan: "We got a battle in Michigan - Uncommitted vs Clinton", ALSO (metulj): Obama on My Block: "I asked her if hope was important right now. She said that the last 7 years was like being held captive by aliens."

• Lean Left: ACLU: Close Gitmo Now: "The prison camp at Gitmo is a symbol to the world of our leader’s cowardice and viciousness and it is the single most effective propaganda tool the terrorists have." ALSO: New Hampshire: Beating the Press: "With its focus on trivia and personalities, with its mistaking high-school level jealousies and phobias for insight, with its insistence on substituting story lines for reporting, the political press in this country is an enormous threat to the health of our democracy."

• Left of the Dial: Meth Seizures In East Tennessee: "While the number of meth labs seized in Tennessee decreased in 2007, the numbers are still staggering especially in east Tennessee."

• Left Wing Cracker: Jim Kyle, you da man!: "Look, something has to be done here; as I have noted previously, the citizens of District 29 have no representation, and the Senate, even though tied at 16-16-1, could be run roughshod by the Republicans, and that is NEVER a good thing."

• NewsComa: Don McLeary, Convictions and Not So Smart Politics: "Trust is important in politics because it’s hard to discern. And in partisan politics, loyalty is everything."

• Pesky Fly: Two Feathers Short of a Full Chicken : "There's an openly racist anti-Obama email making its way around the internets." (Ed. Note: I got it, too.) ALSO: Power Blackout : "I believe that Barack Obama is much smarter and more shrewd than anyone is giving him credit for. I would make the case that Obama is first and foremost a student of power, and that his conciliatory approach is intended to disarm his opposition rather than wave a white flag of surrender."

• Progressive Nashville: Bush becoming a dangerous joke: "Nearly a year is left in the Bush administration and like a cornered, wounded animal, it is at its most dangerous."

• Resonance: Another Electoral Compass Quiz: "One notable aspect of the grid is how closely the candidates within each of the two parties are clustered together. In other words, primary voters aren't being offered substantive choices on the issues."

• RoaneViews: Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival: "Patagonia is cosponsoring the event with the Tennessee Clean Water Network..."

• Russ McBee: The topsy-turvy state of human rights: "Today, a mere sixteen years after the Soviet Union collapsed, the US is the country building gulags, and the former Soviet republics are abolishing the death penalty because it's barbaric." ALSO: FBI wiretaps canceled for not paying the phone bill: "Neither Congress nor the courts seem willing to stop warrantless wiretapping, but apparently the phone company will."

• Sean Braisted: Custer's Last Stand: "As his aides most elegantly put it, South Carolina's is Thompson's "Custer's last stand." The place where Custer went to die." ALSO: Republican Circus: "The predictable fare of "taxes bad" and "me kill terrorists" was on full display, with the occasional interjections of Ron Paul calling for a return to a 19th century economic system."

• Sharon Cobb: CNN Poll: Clinton or Obama would beat any Republican, ALSO: Watching The Republican Debate Last Night Reminded Me Of The Importance Of Getting A Democrat Elected In 08 For President: "All and all, it was a huge, macho hate fest."

• Silence Isn't Golden: Will he or won't he?: "Allowing someone to run unopposed shows weakness, complacency. The Republicans know this--they knew damn well that they couldn't beat Phil Bredesen in 2006, yet they still ran someone anyway." ALSO: Candidate lightbulb jokes: "How many McCain supporters does it take? We don't know. They're still in shock over the fact that the lightbulb didn't go out in New Hampshire."

• Southern Beale: No one could have anticipated this!: "And now this privatization trend has trickled down to state and local governments--surprise surprise--so has the fraud, abuse and waste."

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Without Writers, Bill Maher is Still a Sexist Pig: "And there you go, when you have a lefty comic who behaves like the Rush Limbaugh of the Left, even Tony Snow gets to have rational moments." ALSO: Hillary's Victory -- Women Vote Against Misogyny: The Tweety Effect: "...there can be no doubt that the misogyny oozing from media pundits like Chris Matthews got New Hampshire women good and mad and they showed it with their votes."

• TennViews (Joe Powell): Real ID Redux - Still A Bad Idea: "While DHS now says it will reduce the cost of implementation, a cheaper bad idea is still a bad idea." ALSO (in case you missed it): New Hampshire reaction from Tennessee liberal bloggers, BONUS: Middle class help: "John Edwards has done a pretty good job identifying the problems facing the middle class. But what does he propose to do about them? The mainstream media is all over that question, hot damn!"

• Vibinc: What I Want in a President: "What we want, as Democrats, is more important than who we want as the nominee."

• Whites Creek Journal: Not again...: "Does [Kucinich] think he'll pick up 120,000 votes and win it? Hell no! he sees this as a perfect opportunity to test the reliability of electronic voting machines against a paper ballot." ALSO: Iranian Speedboat incident "Probably Faked": "The only conclusion I can come to is that our Country's International Policy is in the hands of amateurs. Stupid ones."

• Women's Health News: Education of the Pregnant Teen: "One advocate for the change was told, 'You can’t have maternity leave. If you have your baby on Wednesday, you better be back on Thursday.'"

A Seriously Unscientific Survey

Time for you to speak up, dear and patient readers via this Seriously Unscientific Survey. I constantly provide my thoughts here and now I am seeking yours. Answer all or some, as you see fit. Nations and peoples across the globe await your answers:

1 -- Do you have a preference for any one candidate in the current race for President of the U.S.? Please give a reason for your choice (or lack of one).

2 -- The state of Tennessee is one of 24 states holding a primary this year on Feb. 5th. Will you be voting in this primary and do you think it wise to hold that many on the same day? Is it time to end the massive one day primary battles?

3 -- How would you describe your views on immigration policies in the U.S.?

4 -- Where do you seek news and information the most and do you talk about the news with those you work with, with friends and with family?

5 -- How many hours a day (or week) would you say you spend online and what type of sites do you visit the most?

6 -- On a scale of one to ten, with one being lowest and ten the highest, what score would you give for the success of your local school system? What score for your local school board?

7 -- What's the most recent movie/ TV show/ or book you enjoyed?

That's all for now, but I am adding a bonus question if you wish to answer, I would appreciate the input. Ready?

BONUS - Say you have a $25 gift coupon from the store Best Buy. What would you purchase with it? (Yes, this means I have such a coupon and I have been utterly unable to make a choice, so how's about a little help here in how I can use it??)

There, that wasn't too time consuming I hope and thanks for taking part ... if you did.

Camera Obscura - Dillinger in East TN; Death Race 3000; Every 'Cloverfield' Secret

East Tennessee helped filmmakers capture the legendary criminal exploits of John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and the rise of Hoover's FBI, all recently featured in a History Channel documentary "Crime Wave: 18 Months of Mayhem", by Knoxville's Jupiter Entertainment and if you missed it last Sunday, you can watch it again this Saturday and Sunday. I thought the doc was excellent and yes, there are lots of Oliver Springs and other Knox-area locations (and lots of local actors) used as backdrops for the real events.

"Jupiter Entertainment filmed for approximately 15 days in downtown Oliver Springs, a farm outside Oliver Springs, The Ritz Theater in Clinton, Joe Rainey’s dentist office in Clinton, outside the old Wartburg jail, and at other locations in Knoxville, Harriman and Townsend, members of the film crew told The Oak Ridger during the filming in November 2006.

The old Oliver Springs Banking Co. building substitutes for the Racine, Wis., bank that Dillinger robbed on Nov. 20, 1933. Nearby, the Sienknecht Antiques building, constructed in 1901, is the “boarding house” that caught fire while Dillinger and others were staying there. Local emergency personnel were the firefighters who saved Dillinger, not realizing who he was." (via the Oak Ridger)

The show's creators, using HD photography, did a fantastic job and got the facts right in the story - a story that gave both Dillinger and Hoover a national fame that still resonates today. I really urge you to watch the special on The History Channel (details on broadcast dates here).

One of my favorite movies about Dillinger was John Milius' version for Roger Corman's company, the simply titled "Dillinger" with Warren Oates giving a killer performance in the lead and Ben Johnson playing Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent Hoover put in charge to bringing Dillinger down. Milius' movie is stark and brutal and does follow pretty closely to the facts -- except for the way Purvis is portrayed. Johnson looks good as he dons his special gloves and jams a cigar in his mouth as he hefts his machine gun, but Purvis was much different in real life. (Ron has much affinity for Roger Corman and has been posting about the movies he likes.)

The truth, as the documentary reveals, is that Purvis was a skinny looking dude who botched numerous attempts to nab Dillinger and led to the deaths of many innocent people before he got lucky thanks to a woman who traded info on Dillinger for immunity for being an illegal immigrant.

The broadcast got my imagination humming, as I realized no one had really done the story justice over the years and given a more accurate script and some top name stars, could be a real hit. I even started making some notes and a script outline, thinking of pitching the story out West Coast way. I considered putting Brad Pitt in as Dillinger, maybe Emile Hirsch as Purvis and .... the idea all came crashing down as I read online Tuesday I was too late for this blockbuster.

Director Michael Mann ("Heat", "Miami Vice") is already in production on the movie, called "Public Enemies" with Johnny Depp as Dillinger and Christian Bale as Purvis. His movie is based on the recent non-fiction best-selling book by Bryan Burrough.

Fooey. Well, at least I know it was a good idea, since Mann thought it worthy of his next project and I'll bet it will be a huge hit. I bet he hits all the good points too, like how Hoover used Dillinger's crime spree to install the FBI as a national police force, how the press used him to boost sales, how the whole case almost destroyed Hoover's plan and how he was so jealous of Purvis' media fame he worked to destroy his career.

Maybe I could pitch a low-budget version with a less A-list lead actor to Roger Corman, or maybe to that company that came out with "Snakes on a Train" to cash in on the "Snakes On A Plane" flick. Hey David Keith!! Wanna play Dillinger???

Ah well.

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Speaking of Corman, his drive-in classic "Death Race 2000" airs tonight at 2 a.m. on TCM's Underground series. Shot in about 17 days, the movie was a massive hit despite all it's cheapness. And the idea of scoring points for running down pedestrians somehow became a dark American joke.

The movie is currently getting a remake with writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson ("Resident Evil," "Alien vs Predator") in charge. Actor Jason Statham gets the lead role of Frankenstein, the brutal champion of the game. Lots of details and some photos of the new movie are here.

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All hope of getting a good, new version of the Conan the Barbarian tales is lost. Lost, I tell you. Why? Because the company that just snagged the rights has put two god-awful writers in charge of the script.

These writers (Donnelly and Oppenehimer) wrote the script for "Sahara" based on Clive Cussler's book, and Cussler sued the production company for ruining his novel and their version of Ray Bradbury's classic short story "A Sound of Thunder". I'm sure their version of Conan will include robots and exploding chariots.

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Thousands of readers have found this humble page seeking clues on the movie "Cloverfield" which opens next Friday. Produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard, the movie has been THE buzz on the internets for many months.

So if you cannot wait to see the movie, told via hand-held video as New York City is attacked by .... something really, really big, then here is the place to go - ComingSoon.net has all the "Colverfield" photos and the production notes on the movie that reveal every secret the movie has to offer.