Tennesseans Prefer The Lies

A CNN story about residents of Polk County, TN shows a small but vocal group of seemingly intelligent folks who prefer fictions about Sen. Obama over facts. Dan Lehr writes about the story and the willful refutation of what's accurate for his blog for WTVC- TV. Others on the internet (here and here for example) have been on this report too and Tennessee comes off quite badly, all in all.

CNN reporter Gary Tuchman noted it was the mayor of the town which captured their attention:

"We called business leaders. We called mayors. And this particular town, Copperhill, has a very gregarious mayor who said he would be happy to go on camera.

And he guaranteed, everyone in town will want to talk to you.

And, indeed, they did. So, that’s why we went to Copperhill. But we could go to all 50 states and do the exact same story, Wolf.

Recently I was talking with a long-time friend, a very smart, thoughtful fellow who likewise spouted a stream of meaningless hooey about Obama he'd read and heard which have been talking points for the Tennessee Republican Party for months now. It was sad to hear him say these things, and worse, to realize he is far more ready to believe them. After a long talk, I hit a sizable obstacle in his logic which no amount of talking could alter, it seems - his unspoken fear of a non-white person being President of the U.S.

That's what it really is - a deep-rooted fear of another race. Period.

As for the folks in Copperhill and Ducktown - they are folks who a willing to commit to something no matter what the consequences. For decades, the operations of copper mines in the basin were conducted at a very high cost: for fuel, they "cut down every tree and burned it", and the resulting sulphuric acid by-product of the mining returned as rain which left a dead landscape where nothing could grow in the ground for a 50-mile radius. (See more on this from a children's history of Tennessee. If memory serves, at one time the bright orange scar in the Ducktown Basin was once visible from space. I understand they have been aggressively trying to replant trees and clean up the water since the early 1990s.)

Some folks seem to be willing to dig in their heels hold fast to an idea, no matter how destructive.

Image of Ducktown Basin circa 1912

'Hannah Montana Is Our New Secretary of Awesome'

Consider this as follow-up to yesterday's post.

McCain Says Obama's Number One

I've heard some goofy campaign ideas - but for the John McCain presidential campaign to promote this idea that his opponent is the "biggest celebrity in the world" puts McCain is on the sidelines, watching his opponent carry the day.

Claiming that none but Obama has the title of champ for worldwide celebrity fame is, given the nature of fame, more than just waving a flag of surrender. McCain's folks were darned near congratulating Obama for hitting the top of the charts. What's McCain's next plan: croon the tune "You're The Tops" to him via a video valentine??

Yeesh. Is Bill Hobbs working for McCain or something? What? He is? Oh well then ...

Just read what was written in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

"Campaign manager Rick Davis said the Spears and Hilton photos were included to "demonstrate that the focus of the Obama campaign has been as much to create that celebrity status of his as it is to discuss the hard issues that the American people are forced to debate during the course of this campaign."

(Ouch. So Obama is focused on both discussing hard issues and still becoming wildly popular, eh? Yeah that's just awful ....)

"What we decided to do is find the top three international celebrities in the world," Davis added.
"And I would say from our estimations, Britney and Paris came in second and third."

McCain adviser Steve Schmidt also chided Obama as "the biggest celebrity in the world."

(Yee-ouch!! That had to sting!! In the world, you say, not just in the US of A? Yes, how ... terrible??)

"It's backed up by the reality of his tour around the world. He has many fans," Schmidt said. "The question that we are posing to the American people is this: Is he ready to lead yet? And the answer to the question that we will offer to the American people is no, that he is not."

Someone is paying for McCain's crew to talk like that about his opponent?

It reads like "Of course he's a success, the press loves his style, he's photogenic and comes across great on TV and magazine interviews and he's capturing the imaginations of people around the world, he is on top of his game -- but ... uh .... John McCain is ... nothing ... like ... that. .... Hmmm. Let me rephrase that ..."

Just sad, really, really sad.

New Info on Info

I marvel at the discussions about reading, writing and every other thing on the Internet which aim to study just what good it does us, or if it does us ill.

As some have noted - concerns about Information are as old as .. well, as Information:

"The continuity I have in mind has to do with the nature of information itself or, to put it differently, the inherent instability of texts. In place of the long-term view of technological transformations, which underlies the common notion that we have just entered a new era, the information age, I want to argue that every age was an age of information, each in its own way, and that information has always been unstable.

The writer of the essay, Robert Darnton has other ideas to consider, too:

"Other stories about blogging point to the same conclusion: blogs create news, and news can take the form of a textual reality that trumps the reality under our noses. Today many reporters spend more time tracking blogs than they do checking out traditional sources such as the spokespersons of public authorities. News in the information age has broken loose from its conventional moorings, creating possibilities of misinformation on a global scale. We live in a time of unprecedented accessibility to information that is increasingly unreliable. Or do we?

I would argue that news has always been an artifact and that it never corresponded exactly to what actually happened. We take today's front page as a mirror of yesterday's events, but it was made up yesterday evening—literally, by "make-up" editors, who designed page one according to arbitrary conventions: lead story on the far right column, off-lead on the left, soft news inside or below the fold, features set off by special kinds of headlines. Typographical design orients the reader and shapes the meaning of the news. News itself takes the form of narratives composed by professionals according to conventions that they picked up in the course of their training—the "inverted pyramid" mode of exposition, the "color" lead, the code for "high" and "the highest" sources, and so on. News is not what happened but a story about what happened."

He is writing mostly to shore up support for the institution of The Library, an actual building and location with real books and papers you can hold in your hand. And yes, studying the creation of those books and documents also indicate vast amounts of information had been shuffled to fit the needs or concerns of it's creators.

A recent report in the NY Times takes a look at reading and the Internet, called "Online, R U Really Reading?":

"On paper, text has a predetermined beginning, middle and end, where readers focus for a sustained period on one author’s vision. On the Internet, readers skate through cyberspace at will and, in effect, compose their own beginnings, middles and ends.

Young people “aren’t as troubled as some of us older folks are by reading that doesn’t go in a line,” said Rand J. Spiro, a professor of educational psychology at Michigan State University who is studying reading practices on the Internet. “That’s a good thing because the world doesn’t go in a line, and the world isn’t organized into separate compartments or chapters.”

Just recall that no one really taught classes in how to use text messaging, and yet somehow, Tennessee ranked last month as the "Textiest State in the Southeast". (And is "textiest" even a real word??)

Condolences for Shooting Victims in Knoxville Church

UPDATE: Potent video from the aftermath of the shooting at the Knoxville church via Knox News Sentinel reporter Frank Munger.
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UPDATE 2: Early investigations indicate the accused killer targeted the church for what he perceived to be the political beliefs of members - being "liberal", being "Democrat", and supporting the gay and lesbian community.

-- More here in discussion of these topics: "Well, this is what happens when you foment hatred in order to win elections."

- A pastor speaks out.

- Framing this event as a politically motivated hate-crime appears to be unavoidable, something sure to set off an internet firestorm in this area of typically Conservative East Tennessee, and it is a key aspect of FBI involvement, especially given the incendiary statements from the accused killer, Jim Adkisson.

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I'm wondering today how a shooting spree and some recent events might be linked. Others are too.

Yesterday morning I was reading at a few regular local web sites when at KnoxBlab the news came across about a shooting spree at the Tennessee Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville. The postings were within minutes of the event, and it was at least a few hours before the local traditional media outlets had the reports. Today the story is being well-tracked online and in reports and posts at No Silence Here, and at many other sites too.

I had just been reading one writer yesterday morning at the Blab who had an electrical problem at their house and had asked for some assistance. They community responded quickly, with much help, and it wasn't long before a fellow poster had arrived at the home to effect repairs. As wacky as some might see community boards, I had always noticed a strong sense of emphasis on the word "community." People seek aid on many things, from recipes to electrical problems, and yes, even to just sharing news on a terrible tragedy like a stranger walking into a church service and opening up with a shotgun on the crowd.

I visited some friends an hour or so later, and we talked about the shooting and theorized that the church had recently hosted a Planned Parenthood seminar, that some in the area had voiced opposition to the event. I've received many emails from the church myself over the last few years, via other friends, who see much worthwhile the church's stance on so many issues - a stance of tolerance and building acceptance, building community. And no, that is not the case in every church you might attend, only some.

And by this morning, it was apparent the shooter, tackled by church members and quickly taken into custody by law enforcement, was telling officials about his hatred for "liberal" groups, about how the event had been planned, a 4-page letter left by the killer in his car. I hated to realize our theory of yesterday seems to have been based in fact.

I have also noticed in the last few weeks - at numerous blogs in middle and east Tennessee - a spike in online comments raging with racism and hatred toward anything deemed "liberal" or "non-white". I am not linking to any of them, no. I read them, perhaps you did too. Some were nasty and vicious and all were deeply disturbed and wrong, wrong, wrong. But it helped formulate my theory as I had noticed such a sudden spike in taking these views public - as if they were really wanting more than just to "sound off', a sense they wanted to do something.

Someone did.

The inevitable debate about owning and carrying a gun wherever you go arrives fast on the heels of the story. The use of a gun to kill will sadly occur if someone wants to use the gun for that purpose no matter what the law might be. From reports so far, there were many in the church who sacrificed their safety to end the threat. And anyone can and has used any political belief or religious view to rage and kill against other people. They can also use beliefs to effect change in far more positive ways.

An aberrant event does not equate as "proof" of something, other than the reality that people can do bad things to other people for any manner of reasons or delusions or both.

So while the internet hums with talk of the event and what it means on so many levels of experiences, I can best offer only my deepest sympathies and condolences to all involved in this tragedy. I hope you take a moment to send them your best thoughts as well.

Camera Obscura: Alien Politics In The Human World

Swimming naked and chasing a dollar bill on a fish hook is one way to fame. NPR covered the story of the wee lad on the cover of Nirvana's album Nevermind this week. "Quite a few people in the world have seen my penis," he says from his home in Los Angeles. "So that's kinda cool. I'm just a normal kid living it up and doing the best I can while I'm here."

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Robert E, Howard's heroine Red Sonja is set to return to film via director Robert Rodriguez, with his girlfriend, Rose McGowan in the title role and the villainous Howard character of Thulsa Doom (played by James Earl Jones in "Conan The Barbarian") is set to get his own movie too, played this time by actor Djimon Hounsou. Thulsa Doom is one of the coolest names ever for a villain.

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Speaking of pulp fictions and comics, what for many many years had been The Comic Book Convention in the nation is now much more a Hollywood festival, akin to the Sundance Festival or Cannes -- The San Diego Comic Con is jammed pack with movie stars. Extensive coverage of the event is here at Cinematical. Read about "Tron 2", a "Robocop" remake, the new "Day The Earth Stood Still" starring Kenau Reeves as Klaatu and much, much more.

Check out the trailer for "The Day The Earth Stood Still" here.


The 1951 movie which has such amazing iconic imagery and added some intellectual heft to Hollywood's breezy take on science fiction will be tough to improve. That movie was based on the short story "Farewell To The Master" by Harry Bates, published in 1940 by Astounding Magazine and you can read it online here.

The movie (and the story) tackle a simple, profound and common human experience - meeting someone who Is Not From Around Here. The movie script added global warfare and atomic attacks to the mix, like many other 50s-era sci-fi, but focused on the human concepts of warfare and society rather than bug-eyed atomic monsters.

Politics was the key theme in the movie - a massive UFO lands in Washington D.C., and since America is the world's superpower nation, the alien is there to talk to everyone through us. So much film and television in the the post-WW2 America was wrestling with the after-effects of the battle, the morality (or lack of it) in all types of human interaction and conflict.

It's no surprise that these stories are returning today. Back then children and adults were constantly drilled to respond to nuclear attacks, and today we live in the age of the Terror Alert status.

Another profoundly influential science-fiction tale is returning too: "The Twilight Zone", now being assembled by Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Brothers. Like "The Day The Earth Stood Still", Rod Serling's long-running TV series focused on political and moral conflicts in sharply defined episodes. Personal identity, politics, and often purely philosophical dramas formed the basis of this unique show which fueled political debates in the 50s and 60s and which echoes today in our deeply divided political climate.

Neighborhood In Lockdown

A neighborhood is in lockdown, no one is allowed to enter without police checking their IDs and all seeking entry must prove they either live in the neighborhood or have some legitimate business. The neighborhood is in Washington, D.C. - where enormous attention was riveted back in March when the Supreme Court invalidated the voter-approved law regulating gun ownership.

The community, Trinidad, had previously enacted a previous lockdown in early June, following a spree of shootings that left 7 dead. The checkpoint system was halted, but has been enacted again following another spree in the same community this past weekend, two were killed this time, including a 13-year-old boy in the area who was visiting relatives.

Officials have also installed ShotSpotter sensors around the city, which alerts police when gunfire occurs. Of course, once a shot is made, it cannot be unmade, only responded to by police.

A Washington Post columnist, Courtland Milloy, spoke to some of the young kids living in this world, and their best advice is not to be outside once it's dark. The current lockdown is set to end tomorrow and few can say with optimism that the shootings won't start all over again.

Sadly ironic is that the city's gun laws, the one overturned by the Supreme Court, remains in effect. The city is trying to re-write the law and in the meantime, it certainly appears to make zero difference if handguns are banned or not. Or perhaps it might - once a shooting spree starts, more shots might be fired back.

The earnest and devoted attention and discussion which the D.C. v Heller case created is noticeably absent in the nightmarish world in Trinidad, just blocks away from the U.S. Capitol. For those residents, the real questions are how to survive for now and how to create a neighborhood controlled by something more than rage and random violence.


UPDATE: The "military-style checkpoints" will continue for another five days according to law enforcement officers in D.C.

If Food Is Dangerous, Why Do We Have Buffets?

I'll confess it right here and now. I am an addict. My addiction is food. I started eating at a very early age and have continued to eat every day since, often several times a day. I'm hardly alone in my addiction. Everyone I know is an addict too.

My tastes include most anything edible. Except for a few things, like this stuff they call "potted meat". The ingredients listed and the way it tastes and even the name curdle my insides. I really love sushi, but that does not mean when I go fishing and I catch a bass, I'm going to bite a chunk out of it. (And I never keep what I might catch anyway, I always unhook the poor critter and put it back in the water.) I also will not eat pork rinds. I tend to seldom desire to consume something called "rind".

Anyway, this study was recently released ranking Tennessee in 3rd place for "obese population" and the South in general as the Land of the Fatest. I have to agree that I see many folks whose width exceeds their height. I do try and eat things that are healthy for me, but, sometimes I don't. . Let's all remember this simple rule: Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you! ~Tommy Smothers

And before the nation Organizes A Formal Committee to Explore The Problem and Create A Law About Eating Stuff, it's best to consider (and read) this post from DeMarCaTionVille, who says:

"And at such time the US Government requires me to jog or do any activity which could be described as “bouncy,” or when they try to place restrictions on or prohibit in any way my rights to enjoy Southern Foods, such as fried green tomatoes, okra, chicken, gumbo and beer-battered catfish, AND/OR they even attempt to limit how much sugar I can put in my tea, I do hereby declare the South will rise again.

I, personally, will lead a band of freedom fighters on the march to DC with the intention of **overthrowing the federal government. And the Revolution will not be televised… mostly because we’re fat and out-of-shape down here. This means many of us will have heart attacks, strokes and/or die of heat exhaustion before we make it to DC, therefore our numbers will be depleted. Plus, the rest of us will so tired from doin’ all that marching that a 63-year old unarmed DC tour guide could kick our ass, so you might not hear about our Revolution unless you read the Reuters’ Oddly Enough Section.

But that’s not the point. It’s the principle of the matter.

You know how they say: freedom ain’t free - well, this means a lot of different things. One of them being if you expect the government to pay for your poor choices, you’re going to see those choices eliminated. It’s that simple. And if I had my druthers - I’d druther live fat, free and Southern Fried than extend my life expectancy by five years and live to see the day Mama’s cooking is outlawed and I’m required by law to bounce."

High Security At City Council Meetings

For reasons unexplained in news accounts, high level security measures have been adopted during city council meetings in Morristown.

"The heightened security measures employed Tuesday were largely procedural and probably went unnoticed by those who attended the meeting.

Increasing safety further will cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars, according to Morristown Police Chief Roger Overholt.

The possibilities include a metal detector or hand-held wand at the public entrance of Council Chambers, a video monitoring system and enhanced communications equipment, according to Overholt."

Plans also include possibly blocking off parts of surrounding streets on meeting dates.

Have some credible threats been made towards the council? I surely hope not, and fortunately the city's police department is but a few yards away from council chambers. Some years back, at least one police officer has been stationed inside council chambers during meetings, which seems like a sound idea.

I do find it odd that while the city has so far not been willing to record and broadcast their mid-day meetings on local cable TV outlets, they are considering aiming cameras at those who attend meetings and requiring security checks to enter the council chambers. The pessimist in me wonders if some residents will decide these measures will make them reluctant to attend meetings

Hey Up There - Good Job

It's just a year shy of the 40th anniversary, but as each July rolls past I still marvel at what some bold and brave and ingenious folks did back in the summer of 1969.

Their actions were not swaddled in safety, they took risks beyond imagining.

I recall most vividly watching the blurry black and white images flickering on television, feeling the tension of all who were with me (my family and some friends), tension which engulfed us one and all.

After I had watched their amazing and tentative steps for some several minutes, I went outside and looked up into the sky. It was a very humid night and I recall wondering how many other people all across our own planet were also looking up as well.. I did not know then, as I do know, that the two men landing on the Moon for the first time touched down on the surface with bare seconds of fuel left, or that Commander Neil Armstrong had taken manual control of his craft and steered his frail ship with steel-strong courage to complete his mission.

I stared upwards for a long time and then, being just a wee child, I decided to wave up at the sky and say "Hey up there. Good job." And I was pretty sure that even if they could not hear me, I liked thinking that much of the world was doing the same thing. The footprints I made that night in the thick grass of the backyard disappeared moments after I made them. The footprints they made did not.

I continue to admire Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and the handful of other explorers who also made the journey there and back again. And for some odd reason, I am proud that one of those first two explorers was named "Buzz". It was as if it somehow brought outer space closer to home, and took home out into space.

So cheers to these men, and to all those who helped achieve that moment in history. Thanks for your courage.

UPDATE: I was reminded by this recent post from the one and only Squirrel Queen that you can add your name to a giant list of names which NASA is sending to the moon. No, really. Add your name by July 25 at this link. I added mine gladly.

SQ writes on her post on this topic: "NASA is now allowing folks to submit their John Hancock to a database which will be placed on a microchip and put on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft. The LRO will be in orbit around the big green cheese in the sky for many years."

So now I am a bit closer the surface than I have ever been. And what a fine way to observe the anniversary for the first lunar landing by humans.

Weekly Best Of Tennessee Blogs

Here's the latest roundup via TennViews of the best in blogging from Tennessee writers/readers/bloggers.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Fahrvergnügen! (a comprehensive roundup of VW Chattanooga news)

• Andy Axel: Bait and Switch

• Tiny Cat Pants: As we all know, Bill Hobbs is on his great crusade to defund Planned Parenthood and instead move all that money into government-run services, because the TNGOP loves government-run healthcare, except when it’s proposed by Democrats.

• BlountViews: Finney or Overbey? Who does a progressive support? PLUS: Lazy election coverage

• Carole Borges: New Yorker loses its sense of humor

• The Crone Speaks: It seems that when doctors themselves stop accepting insurance, their patients get better care at a more reasonable cost.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: A blistering editorial on 1st District Congressman David Davis by the Editorial Board of the Bristol Herald Courier is out today and makes some excellent points: BONUS: Coffee War AND: Camera Obscura: Batmania (and more)

• Don Williams: Al Gore’s daring challenge -- an ‘Apollo program’ to save the Earth

• Tennessee Democratic Party Blog: The Associated Press released an article today explaining how a 30% increase in voter turnout for Obama in the black community could swing the South, including Tennessee, into the blue column.

• Enclave: It's clear to me from this research that if you want a stronger economy that includes job creation, you have to run with Democratic Presidents. All of the conservative campaign rhetoric that moderate-leaning-left administrations will destroy American jobs is unsubstantiated in this research.

• Fletch: Seagull Contrail PLUS: Still Life

• KnoxViews: You can look up your bank or credit union at the following links to a) make sure they are insured, and b) check their financial statements and ratio reports, which are a quick snapshot of their performance. PLUS: John McCain posting on his blog. AND: Clinton (and Edwards) should be on the ballot in Denver

• Lean Left: Massachusetts is now in the process of repealing the racist and obsolete law that Mitt Romney invoked to continue to limit marriage rights for gays after the state legislature removed the overt bar to marriage in the law.

• Left Wing Cracker: Endorsements

• Liberadio(!): Leave Robin Smith Alone!

• NewsComa: Stewart Byars

• The Pesky Fly: Atrios wonders why the image of the burning twin towers is seen by Republicans as a powerful image of their strength and resolve.

• Progressive Nashville: Tennessee could save nearly six dollars in health care costs for every dollar spent on prevention according to a new study by the Trust for American Health. PLUS: Glass Houses AND: TNGOP Declares Victory in Iraq

• Resonance:: What will it take to instill in our elected leaders a sufficient sense of urgency to act? $160/barrel oil? $180? $200? Whatever it is, it will come too late.

• RoaneViews: Lincoln's Republican opponent, Whatshisname, doesn't live in our district and won't be our next Congressman.

• Russ McBee: Not surprisingly, the EPA intends to stonewall the issue long enough to avoid taking any action until after Bush leaves office; nevertheless, it's astonishing that the EPA has finally dropped its hostility to nearly universal scientific consensus. PLUS: The phantom promise of offshore drilling

• Nashville for the 21st Century: Congress-stakes: If A) Obama wins, and B) he offers Cooper a cabinet position, and C) he accepts...who would run for the open seat? I'll throw out some potential candidates, and follow with a poll. PLUS: Will Pelosi and Dean Block Hillary at Convention?: The DNC can't and won't change the rules so that only Barack Obama's name can be thrown out there.

• Sharoncobb: Oh. You Have To See/Hear What Larry Craig Just Said: Oh Dear Lord. No one could make this stuff up. Here's what Larry Craig just said, and it's captured on tape:

• Silence Isn't Golden Netroots Nation dispatches here, here, here, and here. BONUS: You are so Nashville if...

• Southern Beale: Okay, kids, it’s time for that wacky new game: Elitist: Yes or No? PLUS: Memory Holes

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Sounds good. Except for the fact that for weeks now the media has been reporting that Hillary's name on the ballot is not assured, rather the question will be determined by negotiations between the Clinton and Obama camps. PLUS: Breaking MSNBC Political News: Hillary Clinton Has a New Hairdo!

• TennViews: Voters say more focus needed on children's issues PLUS: Tennessee Senate 8th

• WhitesCreek Journal: Republican Chair Robin Smith is a symptom of what is so wrong with our political process. There is a deep dishonesty in her half of the process and a willingness to let it slide on the part of most news media, and a massive double standard that examines Democratic candidates in minute detail but lets republican candidates get by with slanderous conduct. PLUS: Species Count for Whites Creek

• Women’s Health News: HHS Attempts to Define Contraception as Abortion PLUS: Open letter to Obama:: I’d also like a pledge to not put anti-science, anti-woman yahoos in charge of, you know, science and women.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog Review

The nerd which owns much of my heart and what little remains of my pop culture-infested brain has been constantly promoting the most unusual 3-act sci-fi musical comedy called "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Along Blog" and today (well, really tomorrow, the 20th) will mark the end of seeing it online for free. After tomorrow, purchasing it via iTunes or on the upcoming DVD will be your only choice.

Writer-director Joss Whedon (and some of his family) made this very surreal, very funny and ultimately very entertaining mini web-series. Building on the skills he learned from the musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer ("Once More With Feeling"), he and his crew and the performers have indeed made something most unique.

Action and comedy, hubris and tragedy, goofiness and pathos all combine in this mini-musical and it is no wonder producers are seriously considering making this into a full-blown Broadway extravaganza.

Act I reels you in with some wry humor, Act II extends it into something more compelling and the 3rd Act payoff is more than worth the 40 or so minutes of the time you and your computer will invest to watch it. While Marvel or DC superheroes rake in mega-bucks at yer local multi-plex, Whedon delivers something much more interesting with Dr. Horrible. It's a sharply observed look at how incompetence can incubate something .... horrible.

In the YouTube age of self-produced silliness, Whedon has made a bit of Internet history. So stop reading this review and just go watch it.

Camera Obscura: Batmania; New Watchmen Trailer; Dueling Sherlocks; Max Payne Trailer

The buzz for "The Dark Knight" is overwhelming (a gross understatement) and product tie-ins range from pizza to Reese's Cups. The movie is more than a franchise, the comic far more than an icon.

Unlike all the super-heroes of the past and present, I think there's one simple aspect of the character of Batman which appeals - a dark and conflicted millionaire whose desires are prompted by revenge and muddied by distorted identities.

Spiderman does well as that kinda nerdy guy who revels in the normalcy always outside his reach, but Bats is The Man In Black who appears to relate with the bad guys more than the social climbers and everyday folks of his own world.

For many decades DC Comics called him The World's Greatest Detective - but he's more a post-modern gunslinger: he's immersed in taking down social misfits while forever remaining one himself. Society doesn't really have a place for a "hero" who abandons all social rules in order to preserve them.

For a more more witty and even more fantastical approach to the icons of comic books, some audiences will find far less troubling philosophies in "Hellboy 2". A phantasmagoria of evildoers threatens humanity and Hellboy is more James Garner's "Maverick" than Clint Eastwood's ghostly killer. The textures of terror Hellboy endures don't seem to leave scars of psychodrama.

It's part of the reason heroes like Superman provide such little drama - he can't be hurt and his motives are Ordinary Goodness. Dramatically, that's pretty boring.

In the mid-to-late 1980s and beyond, comic books began to more seriously consider the reality that their stars were hooded vigilantes motivated by much more than notions of Good for Good's Sake.

All that sturm and drang about identity and heroism reached a pinnacle with the brilliant graphic novel from Alan Moore, "The Watchmen", which has forever changed the genre. Director Zack Snyder has been at work tackling the massive work as a movie while fans have wondered how it might be possible to capture the layered brilliance of Moore's tale. The final proof is not to be seen until 2009, but a most impressive trailer was just released which you can watch right here.

But please do yourself favor and read this classic before you see the movie - it is an unforgettable experience.

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MOVIE NEWS:

Oddest news o' the month - Sacha Baron Cohen is set to play Sherlock Holmes with Will Ferrell as Dr. Watson ... and filming at the same time, another Sherlock flick with Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock. Who will be Dr. Watson? Jack Black? Woody Harrelson??

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Director David Fincher wants to turn "Fight Club" into a Broadway musical ....

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Some years back I had most entertaining and often very scary few weeks plowing through (make that shooting endless rounds of ammo) with a videogame called Max Payne. It wasn't just a hard-boiled neo-noir nightmare. Now Mark Wahlberg is bringing the character to the big screen, complete with scratchy-voiced angst:


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DVD PICK OF THE WEEK:

A short-lived British TV series called "Spaced", from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the makers and stars of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz". Goofy twenty-somethings in a joke-filled sitcom which leaves other sitcoms far behind:

"In the span of just 14 episodes, Pegg, Stevenson and company managed to create a cast of characters and a world that are better developed than those that populate the vast majority of the sitcom landscape, while Wright raised the bar for half-hour artistry. Add in the fact that it's genuinely funny and laser-focused on the lives of the geek population, and you end up with an utterly brilliant show. This set, which delivers the show in solid quality and packed with a ton of deep, informative and entertaining bonus features, is everything "Spaced" you need (for now) and is a perfect little package for fans of quirky, creative sitcoms, the fanboy lifestyle or especially Shaun of the Dead fans."

The Coffee War, Part 2

The war is escalating between a coffee-drinking-blogger and an Arlington coffee shop, Murky Coffee (mentioned here on this page on Tuesday) and now the Washington Post is tackling the tale of The Meaning and Service of Coffee vs What A Customer Wants.

I was fairly certain that once this clash hit the internet, Chaos would reign. And I'm not sure if anyone can be declared winner, except for the marketing campaign for Murky Coffee.

The battle began to brew when a customer asked for his espresso to be poured into a cup of ice. Horror and revulsion from the barista followed - and of course Murky's Owner Nicholas Cho launched his own online salvo and the WaPo story dropped some lethal hyperbole ordinance into the fray with their article:

"Since coffee shops are little more than way stations and IV drips for many bloggers, it's not surprising that Simmermon's post quickly made the rounds in cyberspace. Murky's owner, Nicholas Cho, was alerted to the dispute and responded with an open letter on the cafe's Web site ( http://murkycoffee.com). He defended his berated barista, David Flynn, and ticked off a litany of store policies that would have made Seinfeld's Soup Nazi duck for cover:

"'No modifications to the Classic Cappuccino. No questions will be answered about the $5 Hot Chocolate (during the months we offer it). No espresso in a to-go cup. No espresso over ice. These are our policies. We have our reasons, and we're happy to share them.'

" 'While I certainly won't bemoan you your right to free-speech," he wrote, "I have to respond to you in your own dialect: [naughty word deleted] you, Jeff Simmermon. Considering your public threat of arson, you'll understand when I say that if you ever show your face at my shop, I'll punch you in your [another naughty word deleted]' "

The online debate rages on:

Coffee Geek
cleanhotdry
Arlington Yelp

One thing new I've learned from all this - The rise of the term "ghetto latte".

Ah, modern American Consumerism.

Volkswagen Deal or No Deal?

Politicians and media outlets were in a heady romance yesterday as they cheered the announcement that the European auto manufacturer Volkswagen had selected Chattanooga for an estimated one billion dollar facility.

Jobs! Prestige!

Well, I am not convinced.

As Michael Silence pointed out today on his blog, questions about just what kind of deal was struck with the company remain unknown.

Were tax incentives offered? How much and for how long? Typically, companies can get years or even decades of property and other taxes waived for new facilities. And for a 1 billion dollar plant and an estimated 2,000 employees, vast amounts of cash will have to flow to create the infrastructure of roads and water and sewer and other utility needs. Who will pay for that?

Other major needs will arise - housing development, school expansions and more. All of that will certainly add some action to the economy, but much of the funds will come from taxpayers already living in the area. Given our state's sales-tax-based system, all those who are lucky enough to get a job at this plant will be paying their taxes out of their earnings.

And let's be honest here - Volkswagen does not make magic. They are certainly a major company, yes. But they make cars - and we live in a time when the car brings a certain economic burden. Perhaps the firm plans for this plant to build hybrid or alternative-fueled cars only. And that too is a major source of economic concern as well.

In the press reports yesterday from Chattanooga, the company said the "surging Euro" has hit record highs against the dollar, making it too expensive to import their cars from Germany to the U.S. That's not exactly good economic news for the U.S.

And millions upon millions have been spent already on the site - $15 million in federal funds to clean up the site and in 2000, the city and county spent $25 million for 940 acres of the site. Calculating the costs of clean-up, purchases, preparation and future infrastructure needs plus any tax incentives created for the project is no easy task.

One of the more popular forms of government financing is freezing property taxes, known as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) - and studies show such programs bring their own problems and may just shift the tax burden to others:

"(Chicago) invested $1.6 billion in TIFs, even though $1.3 billion in economic development would have occurred anyway. So the bottom line is that the city invested $1.6 billion for $300 million in revenue growth."

Dr. Horrible Crashes, But You Can Watch It Here!

UPDATE:

Taking more than 200,000 hits an hour yesterday crashed the site for the online-only release of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long-Blog", a three-episode sci-fi musical comedy from Joss Whedon. Oh, yes I knew that was likely - and it also crashed the sites for Whedonesque, and some other fan-related sites too. But today things have settled down and now Dr. Horrible is up and running.

I had placed a video on this post via a mirror web-site, for fellow geeks addicted to Whedon's work such as myself. But since the original site is back up, I've removed the clip.

What the heck am I talking about? Dr. Horrible is a short comedy web-series, following one would-be comic book villian known as Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) as he tries to gain Bad Guy Status but is constantly thwarted by the heroic Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). And it's a musical, too. Wacky, yes and nerdy to boot, but the first episode was hilarious and two more are on the way over the next four days.

So just go to the Dr Horrible main page and all the details are there.

Coffee - Elitist Cups of Arrogance or Culinary Art Form?

Let's talk coffee. I love the stuff, and in the last few decades have learned much about the types of roasts available and techniques for making it. A few years back a friend foisted a glass of iced coffee on me and at first I sneered at it, but after tasting it, I caved in and admitted It Was Good. But only God could protect you in some coffee shops if you don't order correctly.

Yesterday a tiny but powerful storm was whirling across the Internet due to an annoyed customer who posted on his blog about how a barista would not serve him iced espresso the way he wanted.

The customer is also a member of MetaFilter and once that group got into the fray, hundreds of comments flowed out. Who has authority - the customer or the person making the coffee?

First of all, I have to say that the entire idea of calling someone a "barista" annoys me for reasons I cannot explain. I guess it is just this notion that in order to get some coffee served I need to know a whole new language - barista, latte, crema, cortado, microfoam - and at the uber-popular Starbucks website they provide a host of pages under the title Coffee Education. It sort of implies I may be too uneducated to even enter the store.

If you Google "coffee schools" you'll get millions of responses. Millions.

Don't misunderstand - I like all the varieties and tastes which one can find today. But it all starts sounding kinda snobby after a while. And then on the other end of the spectrum there are these machines I've seen in some mini-marts which claim to provide cappuccino and what comes out is kinda like drinking hot chocolate with a couple of shots of vanilla flavoring. That's just not coffee.

So I'm pondering on the Rise of the Barista. And no, I was not aware there were World Barista Championships. There are. You can even order DVDs of past competitions. Countries hold their own Barista competitions, or Latte Artist contests and folks line up to watch the creations. The following video of one competition is so jittery and frenetic that I think the maker had way too much coffee in their diet.



I can make my own espresso just fine, thanks. I suck at steaming the milk though. Never have been able to do it like a Trained Barista. And that alone means I will never be allowed into the hallowed ranks of Coffeedom. It is my shame, but I'm learning to cope.

Editorial Board To Congressman Davis: Fail!

A blistering editorial on 1st District Congressman David Davis by the Editorial Board of the Bristol Herald Courier is out today and makes some excellent points:

"Davis has ducked debates, declined to fill out a questionnaire and avoided editorial boards. Even contacting him requires jumping an elaborate series of hurdles and dealing with less-than-helpful surrogates.

Which leads to an inescapable conclusion: Davis wants only controlled, scripted messages to reach the voters. He’s made a political calculation that he can win re-election based on the shallowest form of support – namely, that generated by slick advertisements, name recognition and identity politics.

Davis doesn’t want his constituents to probe the depths of his ideas and intellect. He doesn’t want them to know where he stands. He wants to wrap himself in the flag and in religion, and avoid the hard conversations."

---

"Instead of politely declining to answer the questionnaire or meet with the editorial board, Davis’ surrogates complained that we made the request through the wrong channel. So we tried again.

The Davis camp outlined two additional contact procedures – one involving a phone call to a campaign worker who didn’t identify himself until pressed and wouldn’t say where the campaign office was located. Helpfully, he told us he wasn’t responsible for scheduling and declined to identify the responsible party. He added that he would “answer no questions, do no scheduling and provide no information.” Later, we were told to fill out a contact form on Davis’ campaign Web site. We did that, too, but we still haven’t heard from Davis."

Take a look at the legislation sponsored by the Republican - a bill supporting the goals and ideals of American Eagle Day, another declaring National Carriage Driving Month, and a host of bills seeking to suspend the duty on numerous chemicals, such as Titanium Mononitride and Glycerol Ester of Dimerized Gum.

As I have said before, anyone but Davis deserves a chance to hold the office of 1st District Congressman. At best, his failures may at long last pave the way for the end of 130 years of Republican rule in East Tennessee.

Davis Depends on PACs and Tax-Funded Brochures

1st District Congressman David Davis, a Republican, earns a place in the Top Ten members of congress for spending tax dollars on campaign-boosting mailers to potential voters in his district. Of course his glossy mailers are labeled "official business", but the mail was being sent out as his re-election efforts got under full swing.

An investigative report in the Bristol Herald-Courier says:

"The freshman congressman racked up $69,000 in postage costs during the first quarter of 2008 by blanketing Northeast Tennessee with 180,000 mailers ranging from his stance on illegal immigration, support for the military and driving tips to save gas.

His use of a little-known congressional privilege that allows spending money from taxpayer-funded Capitol Hill office budgets to cover massive postage bills ranked him as the ninth-highest spender for mass mailers in the 435-member House.

---

"House law bans mass-mailings within 90 days of a primary or an election, and Davis sent his brochures before the May 9 cutoff mark for the Aug. 7 primary.

In contrast to Davis’ 2008 congressional postage tab, his re-election campaign – the David Davis Victory Fund – has spent a total of $22,355 in donations on postage and fundraising mailers since last year, federal campaign finance records show."

Of course, this use of tax dollars to fund brochures falls under a process called "Franking".

Using money from others is a hallmark for Rep. Davis. His recent financial disclosure reports some 49% of all his donations raised so far comes from PACs, with the London-based military contractor BAE leading the donations.

Money was funneled to Rep. Davis from BAE just as he and Senator Alexander began pushing for earmarks for BAE - contracts worth $4 million, which BAE ultimately did receive. More on that series of events is here.

Weekly Best Of Tennessee Blogs

Selections from the best this week from Tennessee blogs via TennViews:

The "saluting a mentally deficient nation of whiners without a FISA warrant" edition of the Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about this week.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Phil Gramm, the author of John McCain's economic policies, the man who brought us the Enron loophole, which in turn has led to $4.00+/gallon gasoline, the man who probably doesn't have a friend with a net worth under a million dollars, thinks that Americans who have lost their jobs, who can't decide whether to buy a prescription, a tank of gas, or a week's worth of food with their last $60 for the month, who have been forced out of their homes by a mortgage crisis that Gramm created -- that these people are just a bunch of whiners who can't get past a mental disorder that makes them only think that they are suffering economic hardships. Seriously. Take a moment to really absorb that.

• Andy Axel: The Fish Hawk

• Tiny Cat Pants: 287(g) Means Stealing Babies from Mothers

• BlountViews: Willie Nelson cancels PLUS (IMPORTANT): Allman Bros., Please!: Please vote for the Allman Bros. here.

• Carole Borges: It's 3 A.M.. What if McCain can't even remember where the phone is?

• The Crone Speaks: So, it’’s important to note that when the people that have been harmed by the current economy, that was spurred by Phil Gramm’s legislative blunders, they get little help. When Bear Stearns cries, the Fed bails them out.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: A peek at Kingsport Times-News reporter Hank Hayes' email on why he does not cover Democrat candidates for Congress..., plus: Kingsport Newspaper Still Refuses Coverage of Candidate Rob Russell, bonus: Mega-Micro-Blog-Feed-Mobile-Alert-Pod Nation

• Don Williams: But he was much more than that -- author, artist, hunter, trapper, fisherman, farmer, developer, columnist, merchant, musician, yodeler, storyteller, botanist, broadcaster, poet, husband, father, seeker, dreamer and prophet -- and still more yet. For once you tramp around in the body of lore that falls under the name Wiley Oakley, you encounter variations on a theme that boil down to this: Wiley was a part of these mountains.

• TNDP: Sen. Diane Black needs a coat

• Enclave: According to Forbes, Nashville cannot compete with peer cities like Charlotte, N.C. in providing unemployment benefits to jobless workers who qualify for federal aid.

• Fletch: Summer on the Salt Run

• KnoxViews: Harold Ford Jr. responds to Gramm's "nation of whiners" remark

• Lean Left: That makes my cost basis on that account $1,075. As of today, the balance in that account is $1,203.13, a profit of $128.13, and an ROI of 11.9%. Considering the age of the account (ten years), that makes my annual yield a whopping 1.1%!

• Left of the Dial: I’m trying to determine which group has me shaking my head more this week: iPhone fanatics, villagers and tourists running with the bulls in Pamplona or my Baltimore Orioles.

• LeftWingCracker: So, on that basis, whom would I rather see in that seat? Well, since A) I believe Blackburn should have gone to jail for inciting the near-riots surrounding the income-tax vote in the State Senate, and B) she is a Bush-Cheney parrot, and C) she lives in that most right-wing county, Williamson, I would go for Leatherwood.

• Newscoma: Sen. Gramm, let me ask you sir, could you come over here to northwest Tennessee? I can show you about seven empty plants, downtowns with more closed businesses than open ones and -- awww, forget about it. You don’t get it. I understand that. Plus: I Want Immunity Too

• The Pesky Fly: Headlines to Remember: Bush Readies Pen; Relishes Signing Wiretap Bill

• Progressive Nashville: I suppose that now that I've mentioned Hobb's name here, he officially is a Progressive. Time to resign Bill, Progressives have no place on the GOP payroll. Plus: Alexander vs. McCain on Pork

• Brian Arner's Resonance: Bush Administration: You Are Worth $1 Million Less Than You Were Five Years Ago - Accelerated depreciation? Plus: Fortune ponders the doomsday scenario of Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac folding. I smell a massive, taxpayer-funded rescue in the air.

• RoaneViews: Whites Creek is Closed for Maintenance: There are several rare, threatened, and endangered species of various sorts living in and around Whites Creek. We'll have underwater cameras and other cameras and will try to document everything and report back on what these folks find.

• Russ McBee: However, there may be one silver lining in all this: now that the telecommunications companies no longer face lawsuits for their (previously) illegal actions, they can be subpoenaed to testify before Congress in depth about their spying activities against Americans. Since they have immunity, they can no longer plead the Fifth when asked pointed, specific questions about their collusion.

• Sean Braisted: get that people are upset with this, but c'mon, the death of the 4th amendment? Setting aside telecom immunity, what is so damned bad about this bill? Plus: Diane Black Getting Nervous

• Sharon Cobb: I could deal with his move to the middle to get elected. I could deal with him not having the best health plan. But voting FOR FISA? No. I can't deal with that. ... You can go ahead and tell me "I told you so," but out of compassion, please wait a day or two to do so. Plus: It was only a matter of time before the election to see which side was going to put the fear of war into American voters so they might elect a warmonger instead of a peacemaker. This is going to be big news later on today, because it's just breaking now, and I had to go to Aljazeera English website for the information, as CNN is running something about Madonna.

• Silence Isn't Golden: And wouldn't you know it, Troy King also happens to be the Alabama chairman of the John McCain campaign. This whole scandal is just way too perfect! Plus: Joe Lieberman Admits He's A Lying Schmuck

• Southern Beale: By the way: is this elitist? Because I can’t tell anymore. I think these kind of statements are only elitist if a Democrat says them. It certainly shows how out of touch Phil Gramm is from the lives of ordinary Americans. Plus: McCain’s Free Pass: That teflon suit that George W. Bush has worn for the past seven years has been handed down to John McCain 100% intact.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: If you can believe it, Obama adulator Andrew Sullivan recently suggested that the Barack Obama campaign is "far too cocky for its own good." Like many conservatives, Sullivan, expert on the subject of self-absorption, is occasionally worth listening to.

• TennViews: TN Senate Dem fundraising update Plus: Sen. Finney to launch "family friendly" lobbying effort: It doesn't say whether same-sex couples will be welcome, or whether the group will lobby for adoptions by same-sex couples , or promote marriage or at least equal rights for same-sex couples, etc.

• WhitesCreek Journal: Rich people, corporations, and foreign governments, are the folks who would lose Trillions of dollars is Fannie and Freddie go into bankruptcy. Having already doubled the National debt by borrowing more money than all 42 presidents that came before him, George W. Bush and his Republican buddies look like they will double it again, in one form or another, trying to keep Rich people, Corporations, and FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS from losing a lot of money. Plus: Whites Creek Journal is really about the largest unpolluted watershed in the State of Tennessee, outside the Smokies...And the struggle to keep it that way.

• Women’s Health News: I don’t care about legal status - I think it’s better for all women, legal immigrants or not, to receive prenatal care than not to - at least to have the option. This event sends a message to the community of immigrant women that there will be no discretion, no compassion, that they risk being jailed, giving birth in custody, and having their baby taken away if they take the simple step of seeking medical care while pregnant.