Everything You Know Is Wrong ... Or Maybe It Is Right - But Can You Even Tell the Difference?

In most any day, readers across the Internet encounter some story, some report, some stunning claim which - for once and all - utterly proves that you were absolutely right about some idea you've had. Except maybe instead, what you read instead proves utterly you were absolutely wrong. Which will you decide is accurate and which is false?

Writer David McRaney says your decision has little to do with truth and more to do with what you think and believe even before you encounter something that might prove your ideas true or false. What is certain is that all across the media, the Internet, inside those tales stuffed into those endlessly forwarded emails from outraged friends and relatives, the ideas we earnestly believe grip our brains like a tropical fever which may never be cured.

His essay, The Backfire Effect on his blog You Are Not So Smart, has some very provocative ideas on this topic, highlighted by a deceptively simple thesis:

"The Misconception: When your beliefs are challenged with facts, you alter your opinions and incorporate the new information into your thinking.

The Truth: When your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory evidence, your beliefs get stronger."

---

"In 2006, Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler at The University of Michigan and Georgia State University created fake newspaper articles about polarizing political issues. The articles were written in a way which would confirm a widespread misconception about certain ideas in American politics. As soon as a person read a fake article, researchers then handed over a true article which corrected the first. For instance, one article suggested the United States found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The next said the U.S. never found them, which was the truth. Those opposed to the war or who had strong liberal leanings tended to disagree with the original article and accept the second. Those who supported the war and leaned more toward the conservative camp tended to agree with the first article and strongly disagree with the second. These reactions shouldn’t surprise you. What should give you pause though is how conservatives felt about the correction. After reading that there were no WMDs, they reported being even more certain than before there actually were WMDs and their original beliefs were correct."

---

"Geoffrey Munro at the University of California and Peter Ditto at Kent State University concocted a series of fake scientific studies in 1997. One set of studies said homosexuality was probably a mental illness. The other set suggested homosexuality was normal and natural. They then separated subjects into two groups; one group said they believed homosexuality was a mental illness and one did not. Each group then read the fake studies full of pretend facts and figures suggesting their worldview was wrong. On either side of the issue, after reading studies which did not support their beliefs, most people didn’t report an epiphany, a realization they’ve been wrong all these years. Instead, they said the issue was something science couldn’t understand. When asked about other topics later on, like spanking or astrology, these same people said they no longer trusted research to determine the truth. Rather than shed their belief and face facts, they rejected science altogether."

Read the full essay here. But will you think it has factual value or will you see it merely as yet another example of the utter lies which fill the world and seek to destroy you?

Sara Palin's Emails And Shakespeare

Macbeth - Act 5, Scene 5

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.


"Palin was governor for 966 days, before ending her term abruptly. As of Friday, msnbc.com's request for public records was pending for 997 days.

At $725.97 for the latest set of documents, that price is a bargain, only 3 cents a page for the photocopying, compared with the state's first cost estimate of $15 million for search and copying costs during the 2008 campaign, when officials were flustered by the burst of attention focused on their governor." (Via)

"We're told that there are about 25,700 e-mails, with an unknown number of pages. That's not exactly what any of the news organizations asked for, as explained below, but it's what the governor's office says it will consider releasing.

They include these e-mails: anything sent to or from the governor or her husband, Todd Palin (either from their government or private Yahoo accounts) to the government accounts of 53 people: the governor, her husband, and 51 key state employees, including current and former top aides, gas pipeline commission members and members of her Cabinet.

The state says it plans to release some, and withhold some, of the e-mails it has collected, following the exemptions allowed in the public records law. (Via)

"Sarah Palin is not so much a political institution in America as a spectator sport. Ever since she burst, or crashed, on to the national scene as John McCain's presidential running mate three years ago, she has been the irresistible car wreck the country cannot help but ogle -- the polarising, gaffe-prone, attention-seeking gift that just keeps on giving. .....

"If the email leaks do anything, they are likely to act as a reinforcement to the widespread perception, even among her supporters, that there is something unseemly and excessively visible about her public persona. Joshua Green, who wrote a long and fascinating profile of her for the June issue of the Atlantic magazine, likened her reputation in Alaska these days to that of an ex-spouse from a stormy marriage. "She's a distant bad memory," he wrote, "and questions about her seem vaguely unwelcome." It may be that the rest of the country -- other than the media, who can't wait for her next stumble -- is tiring of her also. (Via)

Palin Mangles History, Laughs and Hijinks Ensue

Though I am reluctant to offer any more mention of the Endless Publicity Machine which toils on behalf of half-term Governor Quitter, aka, The Palinator, aka The Deluded Alaskan, aka Sarah Palin, her recent bizarro world account of the 'ride of Paul Revere' has prompted a revision of Revere's legend via the Atlantic Monthly and it is mighty funny.

Written by Jeffery Goldberg, it's a spot-on satire of the Huckster from Wasilla.

LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the early evening ride of Paul Revere,
On the twentieth, or twenty-first, of May, or possibly June, in Seventy-six, or maybe Seventy-seven;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who refudiates that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, while ringing those bells, 'We must see the French a-coming
By land or sea or some other way, maybe by air, from the town to-night,
And tell our British friends, and our British enemies,
And warn them of bears, the big majestic polar bears, that lurk amid the French a-strumming
Their mandolins, and other French instruments, that make a patriot so squirmish.
Shoot a flare up at Lexington and Concord,
Those fabled towns of New Hampshire and Vermont
Where General Lee made his valiant stands;.
And no one will take that flare gun away from me,
Not from my cold, dead hands.
Of that church, you know the one, with the name, whatever it's called, up in the tower as a signal light,--
One, if by land, and two, if by air;
And I on the opposite shore will be, in a very large bus;
That is painted so patriotically;
And I will ride my white steed so fair.
Then I will ride a Harley, that I was pulling on a trailer behind the bus, and spread the alarm,
Man, I love the smell of that emissions
That smell is freedom, carried by horse,
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
Not horse emissions, chopper emissions.
But horse emissions are very patriotic.
And I will warn the British that the British are coming.
Which should confuse them very much.

Then he said, 'Good-night!' and with shotgun in hand
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore, that Last Frontier,
We were rowing because the outboard motor didn't work, thanks to the EPA;
Just as the sun rose over the Mighty Mississippi,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
Which sounds a little gay;
A phantom ship, part of our hollowed-out Democrat Navy
Across the moon like a prison bar, where we should lock up all the French,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified, by Fox,
And by its own reflection in the tide, not the detergent, but the water that comes in from the sea in waves, I'm not sure how exactly.

Internet Access A Basic Human Right?

Access to the Internet is a basic human right - so says a report to the U.N. focused on the "promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression".

While noting that for many people in the world, access to electricity is still a prohibitive issue, the report makes bold claims about the fundamental changes which Internet access has sparked worldwide and what changes are yet to take place -

"... the Internet is one of the most powerful instruments of the 21st century for increasing transparency in the conduct of the powerful, access to information, and for facilitating active citizen participation in building democratic societies.

Indeed, the recent wave of demonstrations in countries across the Middle East and North African region has shown the key role that the Internet can play in mobilizing the population to call for justice, equality, accountability and better respect for human rights."

An LA Times article adds:

"La Rue describes the Internet as "revolutionary" and unlike any other communication medium such as radio, television or printed publications, which are "based on one-way transmission of information."

The Internet, on the other hand, is an "interactive medium" that allows not only for the sharing of information, but also "collaboration in the creation of content," which makes people "no longer passive recipients, but also active publishers of information."

As such, the Internet can be a tool of empowerment and aid in the protection of and access to other human rights -- as well as contributing to growth economically, socially and politically -- benefiting mankind as a whole."

We are still far too inexperienced to say just what this type of global and personal expression and creation can provide. But we are absolutely in the early moments of a revolution in how the world communicates. Protecting and nourishing this technology and the freedom it offers is a monumental task.

But is Internet Access a basic human right?

Get Tenessee Political News via Out of The Blue

I've been looking for a good opportunity to feature the daily newsletter from editor Trace Sharp (aka Newscoma), Out of The Blue, which started a few weeks back and today's edition is a prime example of why you should sign up to receive this must-read. Out of the Blue is the brainchild of Mike McWherter and you can sign up for their Daily Buzz and get a wide range of political news and views right here.

Selections from today:

• Robert Houk of the Johnson City Press writes that the gutting of collective bargaining does nothing to improve education. "The attack on collective bargaining has nothing to do with bettering education in Tennessee. It's simply a display of raw, naked power on the part of GOP leaders who are ticked off at the TEA. Now that Republicans are firmly in control of both the legislative and executive branches of Tennessee government, it's time for political payback." LINK

• A letter to the editor in the Tennessean asks state government "what is next for us little people." LINK

• The caps on the Hope Scholarship will come with a price for some students. Jennifer Brooks writes: "The move will offset the cost of the new summer scholarships, but it's bad news for any juniors who double-majored or switched their majors and suddenly find that the rules have changed on them without warning." LINK

• Tennessee is ranked 49th in female political participation. LINK

• Andy Sherr has a list of budget cuts that will go into effect next month. "There will be fewer people protecting Tennessee's groundwater, patrolling its roads or taking care of its most vulnerable people in the budget year that starts July 1." LINK

Thomas Jefferson Dance Party On Saturday

The dancing will commence at noon Saturday around the nation to promote ... well, I'm not sure what is being promoted, other than the freedom to dance inside the dome of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington.

I mentioned this earlier, how dancing at the Jefferson Memorial is not exactly legal ... or illegal, really, unless your dancing is meant to convey your convictions or beliefs in something. (The post details the recent arrests and legal issues being challenged)

So tomorrow, high noon, the dancing will commence - not just in Washington, but in most every state (and perhaps even globally), the dancing will take place. As of this hour, some 3000 people say they'll dance at the Memorial.

Here's the Tennessee Dance Party page on Facebook, and the page for the Memphis Party too.

Will you join in?

Republicans Playing Dangerous Games With Economy - Again

Economic turmoil games return/continue. Thanks so much.

"Late yesterday afternoon, Republicans brought a “clean” debt ceiling bill to the House floor for the express purpose of watching it fail. The point was to let a right-wing caucus thump its chest, telling the White House that the hostage strategy — give GOP lawmakers sweeping cuts or they’ll cause a recession on purpose — is still on.

"But the White House already knew that, making yesterday’s little charade the latest in a series of pathetic displays. When the dust settled, the final vote was 97 to 318, with 7 Dems voting “present,” and 9 members not voting at all. Every Republican voted against their own bill, as was predetermined when it was introduced.

"The GOP leadership is well aware of the dangers in stunts like these, so they “scheduled the vote for after the stock market’s close, and in the preceding days called Wall Street executives to assure them that the vote was just for show.”

"It’s all just a big game, which happens to put the global economy at risk. Few seem to believe Republicans would deliberately cause a catastrophe — basic American patriotism should prevent anyone from crushing the country’s economy on purpose — though the “the joke” itself may prove dangerous. As Ezra Klein recently explained, “The danger in this is that as the rhetoric ramps up, the market may not realize this is all just more of Washington’s fun and games. Brinksmanship runs the risk of misjudging what is the last minute, or the maximum amount of uncertainty, that the market will accept before it reevaluates the American government’s capacity to pay its debts back in a timely and smooth way.”

"The question becomes one of whether investors believe Republicans are crazy or really crazy. Yesterday, the GOP’s message was, “We’re pretending to be the latter, but don’t worry, we’re really the former.” The moment the financial industry stops believing that line, there’s cause for genuine alarm."

Via the Washington Monthly

Morristown Documentary Goes Online and Interactive

"Morristown: In The Air and Sun", a documentary on migration of industrial capital and the arrival of immigrant labor in the town of Morristown by award-winner Anne Lewis is now online in a unique multimedia format which makes it very easy to explore. It's called Going South, Coming North: Migration and Union Organizing in Morristown, Tennessee.

First released in 2007, the documentary tracks not just changes in industrial development, but also the often perceptions of local officials and residents in Tennessee, the rugged traveling life of migrant workers and the social impact on all involved. It's a fascinating, on-the-ground perspective which becomes even more amazing as we see the efforts of migrant workers to organize and protect their rights at the workplace.

Created by Lewis and Fran Ansley with the University of Tennessee, this new web page on the Southern Spaces web journal, offers the story of the film in smaller sections of videos and facts, some newly updated, and makes it very easy to navigate and explore the film. I highly recommend you visit the site.

"After years of working on Morristown and walking with the movements that it traces, we remain convinced that labor rights and immigrants’ rights are mutually dependent and inextricably intertwined. Campaigns and organizations that integrate both kinds of claims create spaces where workers can learn from each other and identify shared interests.44 However, serious obstacles to building class solidarity across divides of race and nation remain. Exclusionary whiteness runs deep, as does an exclusionary kind of Americanism. Anti-immigrant backlash is alive and well around the United States, and that backlash can be found among working class people and union members as among other segments of the population. But as Morristown documents, there are also working class southerners, both black and white, who can and do respond differently to immigration and to the question of immigrants’ rights, workers who express solidarity and see a basis for common ground. Shirley Reinhardt suggested something like this when she spoke with us before the Koch Foods election about what a victory would mean:

You’re saying to all the others from Mexico, they don’t have to treat you worse than anybody else. You can organize. That’s exactly what you’re saying. Not only are you saying that to the people from Mexico but you’re saying that to the people of Hamblen County, too.

Don't Dance With The Stars At The Jefferson Memorial?

In fact, don't dance at all at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, as it will likely lead to your arrest, as it did yesterday. Dance as a form of protest is a growing trend, however.

Courts and media have been reporting on the dancing at the Jefferson Memorial dating back to 2008, when some folks were arrested for dancing at the site late one evening. A lawsuit brought by one dancer was rejected in mid-May of this year by the D.C. Circuit Court, in Oberwetter v. Hilliard, because current law has something very specific to offer about public performance and demonstrations at that particular location. (video of the April 2008 dancing is here)

The inside of the dome at the Memorial is designated a non-public forum, which means no protests or demonstrations of any kind are allowed. And one does not always need a permit to protest at the nation's capital, groups of 25 or less are allowed to express opinions with no permit. But see, the rules currently in place, as I said, designate the interior of the Jefferson Memorial dome as a non-public forum - except of course when folks are allowed to use it as just that for an annual Easter service or to kick-off the Cherry Blossom Festival.

But the dancing is surely an organized protest - since a website called Thomas Jefferson Dance Party is geared at promoting a very specific kind of protest at a very specific place.

Oh, America, can't we just dance?

No, apparently.

-- Dancing to protest about union status at a Target store (dancers are designated 'liberals"!! oh no!)

-- Students dance to protest college cost increases

-- Dance-Ins are planned for Apple computer stores next weekend

-- a Google timeline of dancing and protesting (looks to me like both are on the rise)

Can you shake yer groove thing in America just because you want to?

Some Thoughts On Gil Scott-Heron

Late December of 1975, comedian Richard Pryor landed on television as host of the new show "Saturday Night Live" and producers wisely brought in musician Gil Scott-Heron to be the guest musician for that episode. Pryor and Scott-Heron were mighty dangerous men in the mid-70s for television, whether it was late night or not.

I learned many years afterwards that for the first time, NBC put a delay of seven seconds on their broadcast as the execs were just plain scared of what Pryor might say or do - but he was pretty well behaved. And as much as Pryor made me laugh, it was Gil Scott-Heron who really grabbed my attention that night. He died yesterday at the age of 62, but I've never forgotten his unique musical mix of jazz and funk and poetry. He was a true original, hailed in recent years as one of the artists who created hop-hop music.

Being a wee young white boy in middle Tennessee in that long-ago time of 1975, there just wasn't much exposure to non-white culture. I think it was that same December that I received as a Christmas gift the Richard Pryor comedy album "Was It Something I Said?" Naive wee white boy me, I slipped the record onto the family console stereo that Christmas morning and nearly broke the record and the record player a few seconds later trying to stop the record as fast as I could, since Pryor's 'f-bombs' pummeled the room like live artillery fire.

Much later that night, alone in my room, I laughed so hard listening to the record. But it was sometime during that month of December I bought Gil Scott-Heron's album "First Minute of A New Day". It had to be that month, as my normal music outlets in my small town would never, ever, ever have stocked that record - the music outlets available in that long-ago time were a few bins of records to be found in two grocery stores in town, which usually were stocking Jim Nabors and Johnny Cash as 'cutting edge' music. So it must have been on a Christmas shopping spree in nearby (well a 200 mile round trip for the family) Nashville. A new fancy thing called a "mall" had opened recently there and they had honest-to-pete stores which sold nothing but records.

I still own that copy of "First Minute of a New Day" although for much of my youth in Tennessee, it stayed one of those I played alone, in my room, when no one else was around, like Pryor's record. I'm pretty sure I was the only person with either a Scott-Heron or Pryor record in about a 50-mile radius. But his music left giant impressions on so many others for years to come. Kanye West and Eminem, among many others, have been holding him in high esteem for years.

Political, satiric, jazzy, funky, and very personal, his words and songs have stayed with me over the years too. The last 10 years saw many hard times - jail for drug possession and in and out of treatment programs, he seemed to be just emerging again with last year's release of his first studio album in 16 years, "I'm New Here". And reading of his life today, I learned he spend a few years as a kid living in Jackson, Tennessee. I'd bet there isn't much note of in Jackson, sadly.

But now he's gone and if you've never heard him, I hope you'll take a few minutes and listen to some of the songs from "First Minute of a New Day" offered below (maybe hit YouTube for another one from that album called "Pardon My Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)" which is a spoken-word piece about Richard Nixon, some very funny stuff).

Exploding Watermelons and other Dangerous Food

Watermelons turning into explosive shrapnel is the kind of story that grabs your attention.

"The report said the farmers sprayed the fruit too late in the season and during wet conditions, which caused the melons to explode like "landmines". After losing three hectares (eight acres), Liu said he was unable to sleep because he could not shake the image of the fruit bursting. "On 7 May, I came out and counted 80 [burst watermelons] but by the afternoon it was 100," he said. "Two days later I didn't bother to count any more." About 20 farmers and 45 hectares around Danyang were affected. The fruit could not be sold and was instead fed to fish and pigs."

Worse, far worse, is this section of the report on China's food production in the story:

"It follows discoveries of the heavy metal cadmium in rice, toxic melamine in milk, arsenic in soy sauce, bleach in mushrooms, and the detergent borax in pork, added to make it resemble beef."

A Note On Blogging This Week

It has been difficult for me to post something since I last did one on Tuesday - that was/is such an ugly, brutal reality emerging as a commonplace reality across the South ... what can one say after such a grim and despondent tone which occurs when the bottom has been struck so completely?

I also left it at the top of my page as it seems to demand our attention - but it isn't a news story which has received much play in the state's media. Perhaps everyone else is mute as I am just because, really, what can you say about such a dire aspect of life in America in the 21st century?

Consider this post, then, as a sort of buffer, for readers and for myself. I'd like to think the TBI's report is being closely examined by state and local officials, that they are talking about how to approach this problem and cut it out of our society. I'd like to think such conversations are taking place. The lives of so many depend on those conversations and decisions to be made.

Also, I have numerous projects in the non-digital world right now up and running, which I want to write about some too, projects which I hope can counter the bad with some good. Time will tell.

Sex Slavery In Nearly Every County In Tennessee, Says TBI

Sex Slavery By County in Tennessee, Minors and Adults

The above image is from last week's special report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Human Sex Trafficking in the state and how it impacts children and adults, and how widespread this brutal practice has become.

The TBI Director Mark Gwyn says in his opening comments on this report (full online PDF here):

"The results of the study are shocking. Human trafficking and sex slavery in Tennessee is more common than previously believed possible. Focused specifically on victims between the ages of nine and seventeen, the study pulled together details that found children are moved from city to city in the state and sold as prostitutes. Tennessee, simply because of its geographical position to Atlanta and the large number of interstates that cross the state, is conducive to a traveling business.

Many times those promoting prostitution transport the child victims to large entertainment events or sporting venues where people are traveling through or visiting the state. These visitors, often referred to as ‘sex tourists’, quite often become the clients.

The National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Throwaway Children reports that one in four children who run away from home are approached for commercial sexual exploitation within 48 hours of running away. The average age of a sex trafficking victim is 13.

Trafficking victims rarely come forward to ask for help on their own because they are drugged, brainwashed, threatened and beaten into believing authorities will abuse them worse than their captors. Many times victims are arrested for crimes they are forced to commit. Inherently, cases against the traffickers are difficult for law enforcement to investigate and a challenge to prosecute."


85 percent of the counties in this state have had reports on this cruel sexual slavery. Just a few weeks ago, a large multi-state slavery ring, operating two brothels in Hamblen County, was busted by the TBI and local law enforcement.

WBIR has a report here, including information from Christi Wigel, president of the Community Coalition against Human Trafficking in Knoxville.

Last week, the state legislature attempted to toughen the penalties and consequences for those who promote or participate and are forced to participate in this slavery. Sadly, the Senate added some changes that simply fall short of what's needed:

"This amendment also replaces the provisions of this bill that would make a minor who is charged with prostitution subject to the protective custody of the department of children's services as a possible victim of child sexual abuse. This amendment instead requires that a law enforcement officer who takes a person under 18 years of age into custody on suspicion of having committed prostitution, upon determination that the person is a minor, provide the minor with the telephone number for the national human trafficking resource center hotline and release the minor to the custody of a parent or legal guardian."


Hopefully, in the weeks ahead, local and state law enforcement will convince the state and the rest of us living in Tennessee to give them the tools they need to stop and prosecute these vermin and to provide real help to the minors trapped in Hell.

Thank The State Lawmakers For Ending Session Early

It's far too beautiful a day to talk too much politics, but I did want to share a few thoughts about the current session of the TN Legislature which has now ended. First, thank the Good Lord they stopped before they made things any worse than they already did.

Corporations got excellent representation and more rights, the average citizen ... meh, not so much. Not a surprise since the so-called Tea Party Conservative Republicans were highly funded corporate puppets who pretended to be 'jes folks to voters.

I was happy myself to see an issue I wrote about often here, a proposal to reduce public notices of foreclosure, died as it should have. In the end, the state did alter the law by declaring just what specific information must be included about the property to be foreclosed, which will reduce the costs of running such ads. But realize too, the banks and their attorneys were the ones who took the original foreclosure law designation - "a brief description" of the property - and ramped it up to a very long and detailed document which cost already struggling homeowners more money.

In truth, however, I don't think the state backed off their plans because of concern about struggling homeowners. I think that once it became very clear that this law would also apply to commercial property too, then businesses quietly voiced their total opposition to such a plan.

And the concept of public notice is not and was not designed to be a "revenue stream" for newspapers. Public notices remain the only accountability in the foreclosure process. As I noted before, the vast majority of mortgages for homes and businesses, already include specific details on the number of public notices required prior to a foreclosure process. Public notices in general remain under attack in the legislature - and it will now cost much much more for anyone to even request and receive public documents.

It's sad how the public has to pay and pay and pay for the duties elected and appointed officials are already supposed to do.

R. Neal at KnoxViews makes some great points today too about what this session of lawmakers have done:

"Us commie liberal bloggers tried to warn you, but voters were fooled anyway by Republican talk of jobs and improving our state's economy. Instead, they got a fantasy smorgasbord of conservative social engineering:

• Tort "reform," taking away your right to seek just compensation for injury or death due to negligence. (They say this is a "jobs" bill. Do we really want employers lured to the state just so they can avoid responsibility for their actions?)

• Made it harder for employees to seek compensation for workplace injuries. Will also allow employers to present uncorroborated, made up evidence when denying unemployment claims.

• Attacks on public education and teachers. Your tax dollars will fund private schools run by drive-by dilettantes for wealthy families, while hard-working teachers and professional educators are shut out of the discussion and subjected to greater political pressure and special interest influence to keep their jobs.

• Authorized contractors to discriminate against gay people when doing business with local governments. Set the stage for banning education about homosexuality in schools.

• Invoked the 10th Amendment to opt out of federal health care programs and regulation.

• Passed a constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to take away a woman's right to make her own decisions about reproductive health. Bonus: it will get even more conservative fundamentalist voters to the polls during the next election when it appears on the ballot for voter approval.

• Enacted a meaningless "anti-terrorism" law aimed at persecuting Muslims.

• Attacked free and fair elections by banning voter verifiable voting machines. They also made it harder for the elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged to vote while at the same time allowing corporations to now make campaign contributions.

Still, Tom Humphrey at the KNS points out a few items which were at least a little bit helpful in their $30 billion dollar budget:

--$71 million for disaster relief from recent storms and flooding.

--$45 million in funding for Higher Education capital projects.

--$20 million to allow lottery scholarships to be used during summer school.

--$16.5 million to issue bonds for the potential expansion of the Hemlock Semiconductor plant in Clarksville.

--$16 million in nursing home funding.

--$8.5 million to restore previously scheduled rate reductions to TennCare mental health providers.

--$33 million for TennCare services like labs, X-rays, dental and transportation.

But legislation is never simple, easy or direct. Go read Southern Beale's post and you'll see what I mean.

"All of this, of course, masks the true agenda, which is to transfer power from the people to corporations.

Along those lines, this legislative session allowed corporations to donate directly to political campaigns and operate “virtual schools” (whatever the hell that is). We’ve exempted insurance agents and brokers from the TN Consumer Protection Act, and yes we’ve passed “tort reform” ....

Keep in mind, of course, that all of this pro-corporate stuff comes straight from the industry-funded ALEC, which has identical legislation in state legislatures all across the country. But if you want to still believe the fairytale that Tennessee legislators are rugged individualists who don’t take their marching orders from anyone, least of all Washington, D.C., well here’s a glass of Kool-Aid for you."

As much overblown, overtalked nonsense which tumbles out of our state legislature as they invoke this or that part of the state's constitution, I wish they would keep in mind the very first section - Article One, Declaration of Rights:

"Section 1. That all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and happiness ...

Congressman Roe Jokes About Death of President Obama

While speaking to the Johnson City Rotary Club, 1st District Congressman Phil Roe made what the Johnson City Press called a "slip of the tongue'' - saying he was glad that Obama was killed, rather than saying Osama was killed. Then he added "Well, I guess you know who I'll be voting for in November!"

Ha. Ha. It's a joke to him - and shows in his mind he equates the ruthless, brutal killer Osama bin Laden with the president.

Without a doubt, in all the heated reporting on OBL's death, many a newsperson and commentator often made the same error - but I never heard anyone once embrace the error and joke about it like my congressman did.

Rep. Roe also made a loopy prediction that a Federal Government shutdown was ahead in August, blaming the likely option of a vote to increase the Fed's debt limit. The fact is, every time the 1917-era law creating the "debt limit" has been reached, Congress has raised it. It's a pretty meaningless "law".

Still, Rep. Roe had his PowerPoint presentation to show off just how evil Democrats are destroying America by daring to spend money. All the recent cheers of success via Congressional Republicans that they cut $38 billion in the budget are also meaningless. They cut money to programs which weren't active and when all the actual computations were made, the cuts amounted to just over $350 million.

In an effort to aid my congressman, here's one simple graphic to show why the debt is so large and where most of it comes from.


And to go with the above graph, here is a breakdown of the numbers and how the graph was created. Here's a sample of some of the facts Rep. Roe does not want his district to know:

"Without the economic downturn and the fiscal policies of the previous Administration, the budget would be roughly in balance over the next decade. That would have put the nation on a much sounder footing to address the demographic challenges and the cost pressures in health care that darken the long-run fiscal outlook."

The Sen. Campfield Club Needs Parental Okay

I'll hand it to Knoxville Sen. Stacey Campfield -- he do love to make headlines, even ones that make him look like a high-level chucklehead (see The Daily Show). (And for the record, Stupid does not adhere to state boundaries.)

But now The Senator offers a state-mandated, nanny-government rule which would force public schools to make students get pre-approval from parents for any extra-curricular activities of clubs and organizations. Hopefully, despite the intrusion of the State Overlords, most all parents kinda sorta know what kinds of clubs and groups their children take part in - just ask most any parent and they'll tell you the long list of locations and activities they drive their children to and from.

But Big-Government, You-Need-Help-Parenting The-Sen.-Campfield apparently is utterly unaware of such familial behavior.

And really, should it not be the local school boards which set the standards for student organizations and parental notifications? And don't they do that already??

I'd hate to think students will be forced into top-secret, underground groups and confederations. Who knows, though, maybe Sen. Campfield could start one of his own ...

The Nominee (Not An Actual Photo of Sen. Campy)

Foreclosure Chances 38% Higher In Tennessee

72 Tennessee legislators said YES to shorten the amount of public notices published for home foreclosures this past week - despite information which indicates that such practices have very negative economic reactions - for homeowners and commercial property owners - and for the state's economy in general.

Tennessee is one of only 5 states (Michigan, New Hampshire, Tennessee Utah, and West Virginia) which do not offer a judicial review of foreclosures (25 states offer the option of either having a judge review the process or for a non-judicial review). While it is true such judicial reviews can offer greatly lengthen the foreclosure process, that's a result of offering greater consumer protections.

Since TN does not offer that option, some striking statistics emerge in recent studies:

"What we found is not only do these neighborhoods that do not require a judicial process have higher rates of foreclosure but as a result, they have a much steeper decline in housing prices and real outcomes”, says Mian. “It’s possible that the further decline of the broader economy makes people feel less wealthy and so they start becoming more cautious with new investments and buying debt.”

The researchers collected data from RealtyTrac.com, Fiserv Case Shiller Weiss, Zillow.com, and Equifax to study foreclosures, house prices, and delinquency rates by zip code, respectively.

The rate of foreclosure per delinquent home in 2008 and 2009 is twice as high in non-judicial states. A delinquent home has a nineteen percent chance of being foreclosed in a judicial state, but thirty eight percent in a non-judicial state."

As noted in last week's Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on the bill, mortgage attorney Steve Baker, "There is no compelling reason to shorten the time for publication of public notices," and further, "The more notices published for a sale, the more it helps to create a better market" for potential buyers.

Sen. Jack Johnson, sponsor of the bill, noted in his testimony "... it may be considered I have a personal interest in this bill" as he is a board member for a state bank. Other comments, from the Tennessee Bakers Association, said "banks pay the fees for the public notices if a mortgage holder can not." It's safe to say if a mortgage holder cannot pay their bills, then they will be unlikely to pay any publication fees.

Sen. Jerry Jones noted in her opinion piece in The Tennessean:

"We are facing economic challenges not seen for decades. But instead of helping Tennessee residents hold onto their homes and get back on their feet, this legislation will make it easier to foreclose and harder on working families to recover from hard times."

House sponsor of the bill (HB1920) Rep. Jimmy Matlock, also a banker, said in an opposing editorial:

"But it is a complicated issue and at any rate is nothing but a red herring to divert attention away from the real issue — money."

Take A Survey On Politics and Online Activity

I was contacted by educators from the School of Journalism at University of Texas working with Barb Kaye, a professor in the Journalism and Electronic Broadcasting at University of Tennessee-Knoxville to share with you a new survey on online activity and political news and information. They've urged me to reach out to my readers and ask you to take the survey too, and I hope you do. Just click here to take the survey.

The purpose of this survey is to examine the uses and users of online sources for political information. We ask that only those individuals who access websites, blogs, social media sites, Twitter, and YouTube for political information participate in this survey. Additionally, respondents must be eligible to vote in the U.S.

The survey should take between about 15 - 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions or would like access to past work, please email us at UT-Austin.politicalsurvey@hotmail.com

As part of the survey procedures we're including a "snowball" option - we're asking you to please send the survey URL to people you know who access websites, blogs, social media sites, Twitter or YouTube for political information and are at least 18 years old.

URL: http://survey.utk.edu/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dll?I.Project=SOURCES2011

Please copy the URL into an email, onto a website or blog, or Tweet it to those you think would be interested in filling out the survey.

TN Legislature Pushes Forward on Bills Changing Public Record Laws, Foreclosures, Teachers Unions

As mentioned previously, a wide range of bills creating many changes to the state's laws on

-- Citizen requests for public records
-- Shorten the number of public notices for foreclosures
-- Eliminating collective bargaining for Teachers Unions

and many others remain under consideration, with some hearings to be held today. UPDATE: the House version of the foreclosure law (HB1920) was passed today on a vote of 72 Yes and 19 No.

There was some lengthy and often contradictory debate this week on a proposal being pushed by the Tennessee Bankers Association to reduce the number of public notices of foreclosures currently required. This bill not only affects homeowners, but all commercial property mortgages as well.

The bill (SB 1299) was approved on a vote of 5 to 4. However, it is most notable that the Senate sponsor of the bill, Sen. Jack Johnson, and two members of the Senate committee considering the bill, Sen. Doug Overbey and Sen. Brian Kelsey, all invoked what's called Rule 13. Rule 13 requires that voting members must state if they have a potential "personal interest" in the legislation being considered.

Rule 13 does not require them to not vote, just to state out loud: "... it may be considered that I have a degree of personal interest in the subject matter of this bill, but I declare that my argument and my ultimate vote answer only to my conscience and to my obligation to my constituents and the citizens of the State of Tennessee."

If such personal interests did require them to abstain from voting, the measure would have died.

During the debate, one aspect of the bill received wide approval, that of defining specifically what information describing the property to be foreclosed. Current law simply says "a brief description" and over the years, that has turned into an often very lengthy legal description, which is costly to create and to publish.

But it's the issue of reducing the number of times the notice would be published from 3 to 2 (the original bill would have made only 1 publication mandatory) which has the biggest impact. The cost of the publication also is disputed. TBA officials claim the notices serve little function, as most mortgage holders already know if they are behind in payments and facing foreclosure. But mortgage attorney Steve Baker refuted that, saying more notices means more people will and do attend public auctions of foreclosed property, and further, that since the state does not require any court oversight of foreclosures, public notices insure the most possible exposure to attract buyers and creates a more robust market for sales.

"There's no compelling reason to shorten the time for public notice," he said, adding "Tennessee already has one of the fastest and least expensive foreclosure processes in the country."

The TBA also claims the cost of publication is around $3000, though they offered no average cost figures. Newspaper publisher Eric Barnes testified the cost was only $212 per notice, currently making the cost just over $600, and added that in his area of West TN, banks will often publish notices in publications which charge the banks more. Further, the shorter descriptions being considered will also drop the costs of public notice publication by 30 to 40 percent.

Senators Overbey, Kelsey, Campfield, Bell and Yager voted in favor of the bill, while committee chair Sen. Beavers voted no, along with Senators Barnes, Ford, and Marrero.

Other bills which continue to get legislative approval include:

• SB0326: Opts out of Medicare and Medicaid and establishes state program funded by federal funds formerly spent on Medicare and Medicaid.

• SB0932 Weakens wage and hour and workers' compensation laws, makes it easier for employers to deny future medical claims for workers' compensation settlements, establishes presumption of natural/aging cause for workplace injury unless proven otherwise by injured worker, with additional special requirements for proving work related hearing loss and carpal tunnel syndrome.

• SB 1915: Increases campaign contribution limits, allows corporations to contribute to candidates; allows members of the general assembly and the governor to fundraise as candidates for other elective offices during session.

• SB0940: Makes it more difficult for whistleblowers and victims of discrimination to prove their cases against employers.

• *HB1875: Allows state officials to charge a fee for viewing or producing public records. (NOTE: The bill will create a new cost for public records requests based on the hourly wages of any and all employees who work to fill that request and for all the time they claim they require to locate, preview, redact, and copy the records being requested.)

• HB 0130: Abolishes teachers' unions ability to negotiate terms and conditions of professional service with local boards of education. NOTE: has already passed Senate, this is a special committee hearing in House. (NOTE 2: House Speaker Beth Harwell decided to cast a vote on this bill in order to break a tie vote, which would have killed this legislation.)

Life In The Age of the Algorithm

An in-depth essay explores how what is written online may not be written by a person, but by a mathematical formula. Is it the end of writing, the start of a new age, or are some folks simply worried about change?

"As computers have become faster and more powerful—and as the costs of storage and bandwidth have plummeted—there is virtually no limit to the specificity, size and complexity of computer algorithms. They are insinuating themselves into more and more areas of our lives: in the office, on trading floors and financial exchanges, even on movie screens. And the most ubiquitous and influential algorithm of the digital age is the one you encounter every time you type a few words into that rectangular bar on your computer screen: search."

Read the whole essay here.