Tennessee Lawmakers OK Drones

"As approved by the Senate, the bill (SB796) says that drones can only be used to search for a fugitive or a missing person, in monitoring a hostage situation or when a judge issues a search warrant authorizing them. Any information gathered otherwise by a drone cannot be used in court and must be destroyed within 24 hours, the bill says.

The House added an amendment saying they can also be used "to protect life and property during crowd monitoring situations." In debate, crowds and traffic during University of Tennessee football games was cited as an example of where drone monitoring might be desirable."

The bill's sponsors project the use of "thousands" of drones over Tennessee.

How Roger Ebert Changed The World

Like so many in the nation and the world, I paused this week to mark the passing of film critic Roger Ebert. He was one of a few writers who shaped how and why I write.

I am a full-blown movie addict, and have been since I was but a wee child. Unless I am working chances are I'm watching movies - and I'm talking about days going past as I watch one after another. There are hundreds of films I've seen hundreds of times. Growing up it was very hard to find writings about movies - not celebrity stories but about the art of making them.

Roger was one of the first people I discovered who championed movies as The Art of our times. His Sneak Previews show which arrived in the late 1970s on PBS with Gene Siskel was a pure marvel - his passion for movies was vivid and endless and through his entire career he was able to manage the tricky task of simply watching a movie and critically exploring it and not letting the critic to overwhelm the simple viewer that most folks are. He often took Siskel to task for reviewing a movie for what it was not rather than what it was.

Prior to Ebert the only critics I had found were Knoxville's own James Agee's collected film writings and back issues of the New Yorker with Pauline Kael's reviews. But her insights lacked that quality Roger had of simply being able to watch a film and be entertained without the film be Something Important to Cinema. He saw and expressed all the layers a movie could have and eagerly shared them.

He had the fortune of being in the right time and place to bridge the movies of the old Hollywood studio system and the emerging auteur viewpoints of visionary directors and writers and chronicled that change as filmmakers like Spielberg and Scorcese rose to be the powers of Hollywood.

Roger met Kael in 1967 and after she read some of his work told him it was the best film criticism appearing in newspapers. By 1969 Reader's Digest published his review of Night of the Living Dead and he was on his way to international fame.

He confessed to being a fan of director Russ Meyer's sexploitation movies and wrote the script for "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", a purely ridiculous project, yet it showed how, like the best movies, Roger had many layers too.

What I took notice of thru the 80s and 90s was how film criticism had been broken free from publishers or academia and everyone began to talk and debate the merits of movies just like Roger did. He had a masterful knowledge of films but he also understood the value of subjective views.

And while this has spread among us all, there really aren't many paid critics today who write as simply and with as much style, who can surprise us with what a movie - old or new - can reveal to us about ourselves and our world.

But I am so very grateful to have lived and learned from him. He helped show the world how powerful a movie can be, how we have been exposed to great art which is not contained in a museum - it's a living thing we all share.

N.C. Lawmakers Seek To Establish State Religion

The good thing is that a horrible plan by a state legislature is not from Tennessee. It's from North Carolina - a new bill seeks to establish a single religion statewide.

"The proposed law, introduced earlier this week, states that the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment—which prohibits Congress from passing laws respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise of religion in America—simply does not apply to the states. The bill goes on to proclaim the sovereignty of the states in this matter while proclaiming that each state is free to make its own laws respecting an establishment of an official religion and that such an establishment cannot be blocked by either Congress or the judiciary.

"Joining in the fun, as a co-sponsor of the bill allowing North Carolina to establish an official state religion, is one of the most powerful members of the North Carolina General Assembly, GOP Majority Leader Edgar Starnes. Apparently, expecting a leader in so important a role to show some fealty to the law and the legal underpinnings of the nation is asking a bit too much when compared to the opportunity provided that elected official to score a few political points."

On The Upcoming War Between Tennessee and Georgia

Since the Senate in Georgia is suing Tennessee to claim water and land, what battles will soon take shape?

One writer lays out the likely events in this must read article:

"An insurgency stands the best chance of success of convincing Georgia of its error. Invading Tennessee is easy enough, militarily. Occupying and governing Tennessee is vastly more difficult.

"As a soldier, I fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan; as a scholar, I performed most of the fieldwork for my doctoral dissertation in southern Lebanon. Nowhere in the world, though, have I ever encountered a more brutal, tribal and violent race of people than the Scots-Irish of East Tennessee. Any Georgian occupation force would inevitably get sucked into our petty politics and family vendettas. We might share a language, but Georgia would struggle to relate to its new foreign subjects, let alone entrench its authority over us."

Public Education Getting Hijacked?

Talking with friends recently I was reminded again that I'm all alone when it comes to following the actions of the state legislators in Nashville. Not surprising when in years past thousands of bills are introduced. Efforts are underway to limit each member to 15 bills seems to hit their goal, with less than 1500 introduced this session.

But awareness of those 1500 is mighty small outside of political junkies such as I. And what I'm seeing is quite perplexing - actions to privatize public education alone should be getting attention statewide but the actions are swaddled in language that defies simple explanations. The rapid changes of recent years are also seldom understood by residents in general despite the massive alterations to how education systems work in the state.

One major change getting pushed is the "voucher" program, which aims to steadily allow education tax funds to get shifted to private schools though these schools ultimately will decide which students to take in.

A stark and plain rebuke of this plan was made recently by Rep. Joe Pitts, which you can see here.

He also speaks plainly in a recent interview:

"If you think about it, we made significant changes to public policy in education in 2010 as a part of our First to the Top agenda proposed by Gov Bredesen – a Democrat, followed by nightmarish changes to the teachers’ environment in 2011 by eliminating collective bargaining, tenure, and removing TEA from their seat at the table, all in the name of “reform.”

"On top of all that we approved virtual schools, unlimited charter schools, put undue pressure on teachers and principals by adopting an assessment tool that is unnecessarily bureaucratic, adopted the Common Core, and are preparing to implement a new assessment called PARRC. Now, we are attacking our teacher preparation programs by looking at putting artificial thresholds on ACT and SAT scores for students who wish to go through their respective College of Education. I’ve said it before; we are giving our education system whiplash with these rapid-fire changes and creating massive confusion. Who can blame more seasoned teachers from deciding to retire instead of continuing in a system that does not appreciate their significant achievement and experience in the classroom and will subject them to the latest reform experiment?

"Perhaps the corporate robber barons of the reform movement need to be asked to leave the room and let the education professionals do their jobs. I have complete faith in our school districts across our state if we can offer our help instead of the cram down policies that have little to no basis in fact or success."

Mash-Up of Odd Legislation Flows In Tennessee

Taking taxpayer funds from struggling schools and giving them as tuition fees to private schools seems a poorly thought idea. Republicans in the Tennessee legislature continue to push the idea anyway on a very fast track. 

Also moving quickly into law, the state is restricting the decisions of city and county governments in a wide range of areas: setting wages, naming local parks, school boards, etc etc.

Also there are efforts underway to require dog owners in Tennessee to purchase $25000 in liability insurance, or worse, to make the law apply only to certain breeds.

Another bill would bar teachers from talking to students about the problems or issues they might have and talk instead to clinical therapists who would be obligated to share the student's thoughts with parents ... But there are no plans to fund the cost of adding clinical professionals to a school's payroll.

Already approved is a law allowing gun permit holders to keep their guns in their cars - which certainly alerts criminals that they might be able to steal a gun by merely breaking into a vehicle.

Bad ideas and odd restrictions are flowing freely.

Secrecy, Paranoia and Daily Life

Last year a spy movie franchise based on Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series hit movie watchers with a cornucopia of paranoia and high tech fears. Was it all fiction or perhaps just the edge of how vast and responsive surveillance and security can be?

The movie boasted scenes of drone attacks sending missiles at single individuals, embedded tracking chips, secret drug controlled assassins, a secret room with the tech crews to combine and search every camera on the planet, and on and on. And just last week the paranoia hit the US Senate as Senator Rand Paul took the floor and for 13 hours worried aloud about the abilities of drone programs run by the federal government.

Both Ludlum and Rand however are sadly out of date. Our nation has pushed past surveillance and civil liberty standards 12 years ago. Let's look at some basics of where we really are --

-- Right now it is county sheriffs and state police which are working to deploy drone surveillance, which easily by-passes federal laws or protections. The military-industrial research on Smart Dust is approaching reality and reduces the size of a drone to dust motes.

-- The creepy invasion of laptops and more by deviants who want to spy on girls and raid their personal files is surely shocking. And that same software was used by Syria recently to spy and oppose rebel forces' communications and battle plans.

-- A rise in commercial research into data acquisition in the last few decades now operates at stunning levels, and information is the endless edge of weaponry and surveillance, and many folks are happy to pay for the devices and apps that track them. Combine the info we are fairly sure we provide without thought with the info secretly acquired, and most details about you are easily found.

Returning to some previous world of less surveillance will simply not happen. The software that might be looking at you, though, can also look at the lookers.

Sen. Rand Paul Ignores 30 U.S. States Wanting Drones of their Own

Some faux drama brought out by Sen. Rand Paul wailing about the use of surveillance or armed drones ignored a basic fact - U.S. states want their own drone systems. That includes Tennessee.

"It's a race to see which state will be the first to pass legislation governing domestic drone use. Coming out of the gate first was Florida, which passed a bill through several committees in the Senate back in January. This is notable since the Florida legislature didn’t officially convene until March 5—they thought this issue was so important that they moved the bill during their committee organizing sessions. Then Montana pulled up from behind, passing two drones bills all the way through their Senate by mid-February. But, Virginia raced ahead, sending two bills to their governor’s desk by the beginning of March, where they currently await signature.

"Drone legislation has been proposed in at least 30 states so far. As part of my job working with ACLU affiliates nationwide to analyze and respond to the various proposals, I have read every single one of these bills, and I thought it would be useful to summarize what we’re seeing in this legislation.

The good news is that the vast majority of the bills require a probable cause warrant in order for law enforcement to use drones to collect information to use against someone in court."

The status of all such legislative action is here.

As for Sen. Paul, given that the Senate and House cannot even agree on creating the basic budgetary needs of the nation, perhaps other issues should prompt filibusters first.

Vouchers for Public School: Who Benefits?

Taking Tennessee taxpayer funds away from public schools and giving those funds to private schools - whether you call it "vouchers" or Opportunity Scholarships" - doesn't add up.

A good overview of the plans can be found here at Metropulse.

Other phrases being used in debates include "reform" and "choice" but the bottom line is - does this voucher plan aid students or private schools most?

State Democrats, via Roy Herron, offered the following this week:

"Tennessee is making gains in graduating high school students. Between 2002 and 2010, the state graduation rate went from 59.6 to 80.4 percent, gaining an average of 2.45 percent a year between 2006 and 2010. [Commercial Appeal, 2/25/13]

"And what are these “good schools” they’re talking about giving (with our tax dollars) “scholarships” to? They are private schools.

"Now, if it’s “school choice” you want, we’ve already got that in Tennessee. Nancy and I had the “choice” to send our children to any number of schools, including any number of public and private schools. That’s legal in Tennessee right now.

"We’ve got Governor’s Schools, Magnet Schools, STEM schools, public charters, private schools, and regular public schools like our three sons attended. And I know something about the quality of education they got—and so do their college professors."

TN House Leader Says No Debate for Legislation

Business owners in TN are facing new orders via the State - employees with handgun conceal permits are allowed to use their vehicles to store weapons on business property.

Any merits aside, TN House Speaker, Republican Beth Harwell banned comments on the bill from any who might be opposed.

"Republican leaders called a caucus meeting before this morning’s session to make sure lawmakers were with the program. Their basic message? Let’s do this fast before voters wake up and realize just how contemptible we are. Reporters, including Pith informant Andrea Zelinski, were allowed into the meeting and happily tweeted away as Speaker Beth Harwell made her case for minimizing media coverage and political fallout.

"The less you say the better. … Just stay quiet ..." Harwell told Republicans."

Rep. Harwell also limited this session the number of bills each member can introduced - though certainly keeping that number low seems laudable, it also limits business from state debate.

"Harwell's new 15-bill limit has reduced the number of bills filed this year, as compared to last, by about one-third. The speakers have set a goal of adjourning by April 19. Under the normal schedule of legislators working four days per week, there will be 28 more days to deal with almost 1,400 bills."

Mobile Apps Control Happiness?

A company called Apigee, which makes mobile apps and other APIs (application program interface), conducted a recent survey which boasts that people rate having apps above having water.

Not surprising an app company claims apps are All Important. But the results of their 760 person survey in Europe and the U.S. seem rather odd indeed. Full story from Apigee here.

Some highlights:

When asked the age at which it’s appropriate for a child to receive their first smartphone, 75% say somewhere between the ages of 12 and 16. However, 2% of Germans say a one-year-old child should have a smartphone, 8% of Americans say the right age is 10, and 6% of people in the U.S. and Spain say parents should wait until kids reach the age of 18 before giving them their first smartphone."

Other results:

-- 85% of respondents would rather give up drinking water than delete all of their mobile apps.

-- 82% cannot go a day without their critical mobile apps. In Spain, 93% cannot go a day without their apps.

-- 50% of Americans claim they cannot go four hours without mobile apps.

-- 48% would not be able to check email without mobile apps.

-- 32% claim they cannot wake up in the morning without an app.

-- 23% say they cannot feel happy without their mobile apps.

-- 19% would not be able to maintain their relationships without mobile apps.

Hooked: The Science of Corporate Foods

For many years I have offered this joke about food - "Food is addictive. I started eating at a very young age and I still do it, sometimes three times a day."

Seems the joke is on me.

This weekend, Pulitzer prize winning reporter Michael Moss will share an excerpt from his forthcoming book "Sugar Salt Fat: How The Food Giants Hooked Us" in the NYTimes Magazine. The intense scientific effort to create foods which never satisfy yet create constant cravings is laid bare in the book. This link offers the excerpt now. It is a harrowing account of science turned against us.

A very brief sample of the type of research food corps rely on:

"This contradiction is known as “sensory-specific satiety.” In lay terms, it is the tendency for big, distinct flavors to overwhelm the brain, which responds by depressing your desire to have more. Sensory-specific satiety also became a guiding principle for the processed-food industry. The biggest hits — be they Coca-Cola or Doritos — owe their success to complex formulas that pique the taste buds enough to be alluring but don’t have a distinct, overriding single flavor that tells the brain to stop eating."

Curl Up and Dye; or, Washington's Hair Cliff

A recent outrage du jour: the fiscal meltdown of the Senate haircut emporium, promoted by email and 'news' reports:

"Since 1997, the Senate Hair Care shop has consistently run deficits of about $340,000 annually, a taxpayer subsidy that is growing rather than shrinking.

"The Senate hair salon provides about 509 services a week — a range of haircuts, shampooing, coloring and waves, nail services, hair removal and shoe shines. It costs about $900,000 annually to operate."

Some say the salons are getting bailouts.

Confusing this tonsorial dilemma, the House has their hair salon while the Senate has their own, too. Last year the one for the House was cheered, though the year before it was demonized.

Exclusive hair salons, gyms, cafes, car rentals ... It certainly is not easy to remain a pretty politician - even tougher to make a good business model.

Valentine's Day Sewage Plant Tours Return

Valentine's Day tours of a sewage treatment plant were a massive hit with visitors last year, so romantics get more of the same this year too.

OK then.

Montana Zombies and Fashionable Fear

Someone hacked into local Emergency Broadcast Systems in Montana and Michigan to warn viewers that dead bodies were coming back to life as Zombies.

Not really surprising since Zombies are so fashionable these days. Not really surprising since Fear Itself is so fashionable these days too - we're pummeled with Fear at every turn.

Fashionable Fears arrive in a steady stream: schools aren't safe, guns are everywhere, not enough guns are available, snowstorms are named like hurricanes, nuclear weapons are everywhere, asteroids are zooming overhead, the world economy is collapsing, gay people are taking over, illegal immigrants are taking over, government-by-Obama is taking over, Obama was re-elected, drone strikes are targeting everyone, giant soft drink servings are illegal, diet soft drinks give you diabetes, there's no jobs, robots run factories, banks will rob you, the church is full of pedophiles, all sports are fixed, all athletes cheat, the wealthy are under attack, the poor are under attack, prisons are full, prisons are being emptied, the planet is melting, the planet is freezing, food is full of secret genetic mutations, water is poison, your phone/computer/identity has been hacked, you're being stalked by your ex, there's too much information, there's no information being shared, bullies are taking over, space aliens are taking over, you're too fat, you're too skinny, your neighbor is a doomsday prepper, Truth is out of style, you can't afford healthcare, everyone is addicted to prescription pills, radioactive tsunamis and mega-storms are being created by secret military weather machines .... the Apocalypse has begun ...

Fear is the fashion. Fear is a customizable brand.

Remain calm.

Remember, all you have to fear is Fear Itself.

Baracula and Lincolnstein

Inevitable?

What happens when you create a mash up of toys, presidents, and Hollywood monsters ...

Fake Fakery or Bold Boldness?

The daring legislature of Tennessee is pushing for a State Constitutional Amendment to ban a state income tax despite the fact the current constitution has a ban on a state income tax.

Call it pep rally legislation.

This is rather like the "bold" decision that Frito Lay, which created Doritos taco shells for Taco Bell, is now offering Taco Bell flavored chips which will taste like .... Doritos.

It's as if something were actually happening.

The Stench of He-Goats in Mtn. Dew

Some months ago I learned that food additives are beyond bizarre. And despite consumer labels on products we seldom know what we are actually ingesting.

My first surprise was Castoreum, which is a nice way to refer to the anal glands of beavers and is used to flavor cigarettes plus it is used to evoke the flavor of vanilla or other fruits. Products do not list Castoreum but merely say "natural flavoring".

Mmmmm. Tasty.

There's also shellac, which comes from crushed Indonesian beetles and is used to make candy, chocolate, and apples shiny.

The past week brought news that Gatorade was removing brominated vegetable oil as an ingredient. Bromine, a word whose Greek origins means "stench of he-goats", is used as a flame retardant and as a flavor enhancer for Mtn. Dew and orange sodas.

Thousands of additives are in use but items like crushed beetles and anal glands are typically called "natural flavors". Just wrap that odd item with bacon fat or sugar and happy eating!!

Go Hungry Says Sen. Campfield

Children in need are being threatened in legislation from Knoxville Senator Campfield. He wants to withhold food stamps from families if a child makes bad grades in school. Campfield wants kids in poverty to face more hardships, worse, face the prospect of going hungry, if they are also having problems with their studies.

Classy Campfield. Punishing kids is Ugly Government.

Another Tennessee government over-reach means lost jobs. The state wants to force private businesses to allow more weapons in the workplace. The massive investment and growth of the VW manufacturing complex in Chattanooga is in jeopardy thanks to this proposal.

More legislators, sadly including my new State Rep Tilman Goins, are refusing to allow funds for health care in the state from the Affordable Care Act go to those who might need it. Firstly, we've paid the taxes that create the funds and are obligated for the debt it creates too. The least we should expect in return is to receive the health care programs and expansions which would follow. Politics aside, even of the funds are turned away, other states will receive the funds, so why cut us out? The state's Federal representatives have made and are making calls for the repeal of the Act - but no go. Until or unless such a repeal takes place then don't let TN get less than their share. If the state refuses the money then residents will just have to find health insurance on their own.

U

Two Dogs Skype With Each Other

Rep. Roe Wrong Again

Again my congressman, Dr. Phil Roe, and other congressmen are doing it wrong.

He has joined others in proposing a law that says if Congress does not pass a budget then they will refuse their pay. Here's the deal:

It's the fundamental job of Congress to pass a budget, job one. They've wiggled away from that and instead take a pose of pretension. They are supposed to be paid for doing their job - not vow and legislate to reject pay for failing to do their jobs.

And a simple online search shows the idea came from a blog rant last year.

Do your jobs - don't promise to not do it. Many elected officials have returned or refused pay without making laws about it. Deceptive poses may be pretty but they remain deceptive.

Farewell To A Fine Friend

I bring sad news today.

The only and official dog mascot for this blog, Sophie, has passed away. Full name, Sophie Belle Mooney, was rescued from a California animal shelter in the early days of this century by her devoted owner, aka The Editor, and was eventually brought to east Tennessee in 2005, when I was first introduced to her.

A few samples of the adventures she and I shared are part of this blog's history, and the image of her below has been seen and shared around the globe. The picture captures some of her inquisitive and sweet nature, and is emblematic of the deeply personal connection she could make.

I am but one of many uncles and other extended family members for Sophie and count myself enriched for such a connection. There are many tales I might tell, but decided to mention just one today.

On many occasions I took naps with Sophie and they were quite fantastic. Like many of us, I have often relaxed and reclined with dogs and cats but with Sophie there was this quality that what we were doing was linked to an ancient connection between humans and dogs, a wordless bond, a relationship which brought a greater quality of life to us both.

And you, dear reader, either know what I am talking about or you do not, and if not you need to seek out the experience and marvel at what it means.

I join with many, many others who both mourn her loss and celebrate her life. I know there is an inconsolable grief for The Editor now, and some joy for the time which was shared. Enormous thanks to The Editor for introducing us.

Peace dear Sophie. And thank you, too.

Fake Girlfriend, Media FAIL, Football and Being 'Catfished'

Moving at Internet speed yesterday, the Sports website Deadspin revealed Notre Dame's football hero Manti Te'o did not actually have a girlfriend whose romance and sudden death made international news.

The in-depth and riveting story on Deadspin prompted the college, Te'o and the nation's into a scramble of explanations.

The fact is every media outlet failed to confirm the stories they sold as inspirational - the New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, ESPN, CBS, and many more all got caught short.

The "Catfish" phenomena is growing.

Gun Myths Present And Past

I watched in amazement a C-Span coverage of a public hearing on gun violence aired this weekend recorded in Santa Rosa, CA.

For about 2 and a half hours a large number of half-truths and bizarre claims of impending doom and conspiracy were expressed by average folks - claims about secret CIA projects using laser mind control devices to create deranged killers who are used to promote gun restrictions was one such theory, and more were also offered.

Not all claims were so bizarre but often the comments were based on errors and emotions rather than reality.

A Tennessee man who claimed to be a "tactical security expert" got his gun permits revoked after posting a video online warning he'll kill folks who might seek ownership restrictions. Oh, his "training" isn't actually certified by anyone. Just another maniacal mythmaker.

Gun myths are common though the anger aimed at any who might challenge the myths uncommonly powerful.

Southern Beale points out a few of them, including the nature of some "training" classes:

"The classes I took taught me almost nothing about how to defend myself with a gun. One, taught by a man who said he refuses to get a carry permit because “I don’t think I have to get the government’s permission to exercise my right to bear arms,” packed about twenty minutes of useful instruction into four long evenings of platitudes, Obama jokes, and belligerent posturing. “The way crime is simply out of control, you can’t afford not to wear a gun all the time,” he told us on several occasions."

More mythical history pointed out here.

It will be ridiculously tough to enact common sense gun laws since it appears there is a stunning lack of reality among all the myths.

Everything You Thought Was True Isn't

Being wrong is easy. Often we "learn" the wrong information, or just interpret our experiences through a dim understanding of the world. It happens to all of us. Some folks are confessing online to the things they misunderstood and it makes for such fun reading:

"I thought veterans were "veterinarians" and when walking through NYC in the 80s, seeing tons of "former vet, please help" signs really made me wonder why animal doctors kept falling on hard times.

"I have a friend who one day, in our 20s, said, "Oh my god, I just figured something out! U-Haul is U-Haul because YOU HAUL your own stuff!" We still laugh about that.

"I just found out at the age of 31 that pickles are cucumber. : <

I wrote "for all intensive purposes" in dozens of essays throughout middle school, high school, and college, and no teacher ever corrected me. (They just gave me A's on all of the essays.) It took until the age of nineteen, when my boyfriend finally corrected me, to realize that I had been saying and writing the phrase completely wrong for my entire life."

TN Legislature on the Border of Insanity?

The tragic shooting in Newtown, CT provides at the least an opportunity for discussion and debate about common sense gun laws, mental health issues, and more. Sadly, the talk has drifted into arenas of pop culture, blaming video games and/or movies as some Universal Cause. Or worse, we give serious thought to transforming all that teaching and education have historically meant into a twisted-up worldview of weaponized teaching.

Others in the state are writing and talking about the upcoming legislative "ideas" as several East Tennessee lawmakers are promoting weaponized teachers - a discussion one security expert calls "borderline insanity". More informed education leaders  point out the grave errors in such debate:

"Bowman and Summerford are calling for federal and state dollars to better fund security measures and also for funds for more school counselors, who might help prevent school shootings by recognizing emotional problems in students before they bubble over into violence.

“National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel supports the idea of trained officers in schools, but not arming teachers.

"In a statement from his office, Van Roekel said “haphazardly putting more guns into our schools is the last thing we should be doing to ensure the safety of our students.”

Here's a few other terrible ideas to ponder since terrible ideas are gaining steam:

- Encourage more students to drop out of school. If fewer kids are in school, fewer could be hurt. Or, just eradicate all public education and instead require each child be home-schooled by a heavily armed parent/guardian.

- Require all schools to provide Ninja training for students from Head Start thru college, establishing dojos in every school.

-  Convert all public buildings into underground bunkers, accessible only through a single entrance, which is guarded by robotic machine guns and bio-metric locks.

Bad ideas arrive too easily for some legislators, drown out reasonable discussion and serve no useful function. However, unless we halt the promotion of bad thinking, bad outcomes will flourish.

Rep. Roe Refuses Emergency Aid to Americans

My congressman, Rep. Phil Roe, is continuing to show off how much he despises folks in need. Worse, he was joined by other Tennessee congressmen who voted against providing emergency funds to repair the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy - $70 billion in damage to New York and New Jersey,  125 lives lost. (NOTE: some very thoughtful discussion at the link above)

Rep. Roe offered this comment as he took his oath of office this week: "There are many challenges facing our nation, and I will continue to be a strong voice for the values of East Tennesseans.”

However refusing to help our fellow Americans who have suffered greatly from a natural disaster is not a part of our values.

Gov. Chris Christie spoke plainly to those elected officials who hold no value for human life: 

"There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Wednesday. “The House majority and their speaker, John Boehner."

"This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Natural disasters happen in red states and blue states, in states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters not as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans. Or at least we did."

Shame on you, Rep. Roe. You dishonor so many with such actions.

Babar Goes To Washington; or Who Ordered The You-Know-What Sandwich?

The Republicans in Washington need an update to their symbol.

The above image captures what I imagine might be the self-image of many a Republican in Washington.(And yes, it pleases me to irritate said group by linking them to French children's literature.)

And let's be honest - the entire Congress under Republican rule for the last few years ranks as the worst-performing and most disappointing since records on performance have been kept. Writer Ezra Klein refers to them as the "rottenest in history" and the "Wile E. Coyote Congress":

"What’s the record of the 112th Congress? Well, it almost shut down the government and almost breached the debt ceiling. It almost went over the fiscal cliff (which it had designed in the first place). It cut a trillion dollars of discretionary spending in the Budget Control Act and scheduled another trillion in spending cuts through an automatic sequester, which everyone agrees is terrible policy. It achieved nothing of note on housing, energy, stimulus, immigration, guns, tax reform, infrastructure, climate change or, really, anything. It’s hard to identify a single significant problem that existed prior to the 112th Congress that was in any way improved by its two years of rule.

"The 112th found legislating so difficult that lawmakers repeatedly created artificial deadlines for consequences and catastrophes intended to spur them to act. But like Wile E. Coyote with his endless supply of Acme products, when the 112th set a trap, the only sure bet was that it would explode in its collective face, forcing leaders to construct yet another hair- trigger legislative contraption."

Ouch!

They invented a fiscal crisis, wailed about it endlessly and barely acted in time to delay the consequences until the last possible moment, which gave most of the Washington representatives from Tennessee time to show off their failings.

My Congressman, Rep. Phil Roe, issued a statement after voting no on the plan approved this week - "Washington cannot continue to tax, borrow and spend."

Um ... isn't that pretty much a major chunk of what government does? Too bad he always says No rather than offering a more positive idea, say, maybe "Government needs to invest in America" - it's education, infrastructure, technology, etc etc.

Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker doesn't sound much better as he offers his view on voting for the plan to avoid fiscal meltdown:

"I looked at the policy of where we were going to be if we didn't pass it or where we would be if we did, and while it was like eating a you-know-what sandwich to vote for this, to me it was a right of passage to this quarter." 

(NOTE to the writer of the article cited above - you mean "rite of passage" maybe? Tsk Tsk.)

2012: Days of Future Passed

As the new year approaches I tend to reflect some, as most folks do, on Past, Present and Future. In truth, I'm likely too reflective on a constant basis, perhaps part of the hard-wired nature of The Writer in My Head.

Given the purely tentative and fragile essence of Life itself, I confess to some surprise to still be a living creature here on this wee speck of a planet in an infinite Universe. Existence for more than a handful of decades defies the odds. Perhaps it is that I have felt as if I were an Old Soul since I was but a young boy. Now that I am far beyond young boyhood, the passage of Time perplexes me far more than ever.

This fading year, 2012, is one where I have realized I am aging to the point of cultural irrelevance, a fact which was driven deep into my thoughts rather too often for comfort. My time here has straddled two centuries, and the changes in how life is lived are radical and spectacular. A great many of the changes were expected, yet many more were not. (Not that such a state is uniquely mine.)

And there's the simple fact that the time which has passed in my life is now greater than the time which is ahead and yet to be lived. Spooky.

The year I was born, Time magazine proclaimed that the "Men of the Year" were Scientists. Scientists. 

Every day, new and startling discoveries are made about our world and how we manipulate it and use it and attempt to understand it. Sadly, this year, the dubious wisdom of the Tennessee state legislature decided that Science was a collection of random theories which were to be challenged and doubted by American grade school and high school students. 

Not that Science solves any and every problem, but the vast wealth of possibility and discovery has apparently been dismissed as if they were mere Superstitions while Superstition is now heralded as a beacon of Truth.

The men who were singled out in 1960 helped to create so many of the innovations which shape life today via technology and medicine, and much more, and hundreds of other inventors and innovators built on their ideas:

George Beadle, geneticist, Charles Draper, designer of the Apollo Guidance Computer, John Enders, "Father of Modern Vaccines", Donald A. Glaser, particle physicist,  Joshua Lederberg, artificial intelligence and genetics,  Willard Libby, chemistry,  Linus Pauling, quantum chemistry and molecular biology,  Edward Purcell, magnetic resonance creator and physicist,  Isidor Rabi, physicist and microwave developer, Emilio Segrè, physicist, William Shockley, "Father of Silicon Valley". Edward Teller, physicist, inspiration for "Dr. Strangelove",  Charles Townes, quantum electronics, James Van Allen, nuclear and astrophysicist, and Robert Woodward, organic chemist.

I often think that it will be the children who have been born in the last few or next few years who will provide the next major shift in how life on our planet is lived -- and I confess that I most selfishly want to live as long as possible just so I can be alive as our wee planet makes another monumental stride into and beyond the realms of possibility.

Here's to you 2013 and all the years and surprises yet to come. 

The Lost: Aboard a Conservative Cruise Ship

It's so easy to highlight the ridiculous and delusional when one takes a cruise ship adventure with a boatload of Conservatives just days after the 2012 Election - one writer joined a National Review-sponsored cruise and the report is a metaphorical descent into a malestrom.

"Hassett pivoted to the liberal media. “I actually think that Goebbels was more critical of Hitler than the New York Times is of Obama,” said Hassett, tucking into a piece of strudel. “I was in the middle of the fight against the propaganda, and I have stories like you wouldn’t believe. These people are so evil. They’re basically Fascists. It’s unbelievable.” 

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"Rob Long, a conservative Hollywood TV writer behind a TNT show called ­Sullivan & Son, said the party has to accept that it’s been living in a fantasy world. “It’s like The Matrix,” he said. “You can continue to live in the dream world, or you can take the pill and we can unplug you and you can see that things are actually kind of bad.”

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"John Yoo, the former Bush Administration lawyer who helped formulate its theory on torture ... worried that the Republicans were too quick to blame each other, saying, “This is all out of Lord of the Flies and Karl Rove is Piggy and we’re supposed to all chase him around with spikes and throw him on a fire?”

Tree - Nog - Roast Beast

Tree. Nog. Roast Beast.

Merry Christmas to All.

Annual Christmas Photo Caption Contest

Yes, it's that time again - craft your best caption for the photo above and you too can be a WINNER!

What will you win? A giant heapin' helpin' of my love and devotion, that's what. Not too shabby. (And of course, you'll receive the satisfaction of a job well done!!)

A caption to get you started --

"Say Mayan Apocalypse one more time, and there will be something way worse than coal in yer stocking."

Annual Christmas Music Sampler

I like many of the traditions of Christmas, especially music. But it's kind of sad how older Christmas songs swamp anything newer. There are tons of forgotten and/or obscure Christmas songs too that are great fun. The nearly year round collections of Christmas tunes via Check the Cool Wax blog are a great way to while away hours online during the holidays.

Hearing many of the tunes played during the holidays instantly conjure powerful memories for most of us - but don't hesitate to make new memories with friends and families.

For the last few years, I've really enjoyed the Christmas music sampler issued by Paste magazine, which offers many new bands and musicians performing their own works for the holiday. Below, a collection from their 2011 and 2012 samplers, and a few other favorites.

And a most merry and happy Christmas to one and all!

Napsacks, Moustache Straws, Instagram Cookies and Christmas Dinner in A Can

Time for something completely whimsical.

Still seeking a rare, useful and perhaps energy efficient gift? Why not try the Napsack, a wearable sleeping bag, suitable for camping or just around the house to keep your heating costs lower? This is no Snuggie or Slanket. It's a Napsack. And it is not a Canadian Thuggie either.

Or maybe you could use a Napsack for those days when you feel the need to insulate yourself from the world and all it's harsh realities. I think it's a far better solution than sticking your head into the sand, is obviously more comfortable, plus you can hang onto your coffee as you seek some solace from the cold, cruel world.

And if you do feel the need to hole up and hide from the world, you can still enjoy holiday goodies thanks  to Christmas Dinner in a Can!

Well, that is, you could have enjoyed it, but they are all sold out. :( 

Speaking of treats for the holidays, bring home the fun of all the fairground and have something On A Stick -- like Hot Chocolate On A Stick. Just swirl the cube of handmade Belgian chocolate goodness around in your steamy mug of milk and enjoy.

And have you noticed how oddly popular fake moustaches have become? Darned things are popping up everywhere, for reasons I know not. 

But you can add some 2012 Cool to your Yule events with the Stache Straw - yep, everyone cool at the Christmas party will be sipping in style this holiday season, so don't miss out.

(And while it is too late to arrive in time for Christmas, you can still place your order for Instagram Cookies - a box of treats made from your own personal visual history, and you can send from one to six pics to turn into snacks.)

Sen. Niceley Wants Secret Armed Guards In TN Schools

Worst idea I've heard yet (and there is no shortage of bad ideas) in response to the massacre in Newtown, CT is from Tennessee Senator Frank Niceley, who wants to create secretly armed staffers and teachers in public schools. Worse, Governor Haslam seems to think this wackadoodle notion is worthy of consideration.

"Say some madman comes in. The first person he would probably try to take out was the resource officer. But if he doesn’t know which teacher has training, then he wouldn’t know which one had [a gun],” Niceley said by phone. “These guys are obviously cowards anyway and if someone starts shooting back, they’re going to take cover, maybe go ahead and commit suicide like most of them have.”

"Tennessee’s governor told reporters Monday that he’s open to including it on the agenda for a January conference to discuss school safety. Nicely said he expect the governor “to be receptive” to his plan to use tax money to arm and train teachers."

SEE ALSO: Newscoma points out that TN Senator Lamar Alexander says video games are to blame for the massacre in Newtown and former TN legislator Debra Maggert dared to oppose a NRA-supported gun-totin' bill and was quickly ousted from office.