Sea Monster Attacks Internet UPDATE!

Got an update on the severed underwater cable which provides internet services - mentioned earlier this week. It seems a 5-ton ships anchor was the culprit, according to press reports. Not, apparently, nefarious aquatic monsters nor super-secret underwater hooligans of any sort. The link above even has a picture of the anchor being hauled out of the water by a FLAG Telecom repair ship. Of course, that only explains one of three mysteriously severed cables (there was another in some Arctic fjord but that was blamed on wild weather and roiling seas, according to spokesperson Marty Kuluguqtuq. No I did not make that up. And that's Mister Kuluguqtuq to you, bucko.).

Curious creature that I am, the element of the report of a repair which caught my eye was the reference to FLAG Telecom. FLAG stands for Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe, a company based in India which laid the cable in the late 1990s. The cable in question is part of a worldwide creation - some 28,000 miles long and at only an inch thick, it may well be prone to slicing.

Likely the best source of info on FLAG comes from writer Neal Stephenson, in this massive article from Wired magazine in December of 1996.

"Everything that has occurred in Silicon Valley in the last couple of decades also occurred in the 1850s. Anyone who thinks that wild-ass high tech venture capitalism is a late-20th-century California phenomenon needs to read about the maniacs who built the first transatlantic cable projects (I recommend Arthur C. Clarke's book How the World Was One). The only things that have changed since then are that the stakes have gotten smaller, the process more bureaucratized, and the personalities less interesting."

Stephenson's detailed research reveals the links between the creation of international trade routes and treaties from the 1800s, the rise of telecoms and the current state of how information moves to the FLAG project and makes fascinating reading.

If you have time and energy, his Hugo-award-winning novel "Cryptonomicon" is a stunning tale of history and fiction on the creation of computers and lost gold, U-Boats and ISPs and how everything is connected by being connected. The book should already be in your home as proof of your inner tech Geekness.

Camera Obscura - Online Horror Festival; Rolling Stones Documentary; Make A Dead Movie

It is true I have a film festival in my brain 24/7. It's way swanky.

If you don't, and if you always wanted to attend a film festival, all you need to join one is a computer connected to the internets. In fact, that's the only way you can witness Insomnifest, the world's first Online Horror Movie Festival.

12 movies are featured in the fest, which runs from Feb. 11 thru Feb. 24. The web site for the fest boasts a mega-trailer from most of the movies. I'm thinking this is not the kind of festival one attends hoping to meet the people who actually made these movies or the fans who seek them. At least they did not call it Splatterfest or Cheesefest, but perhaps they could have. And I don't recommend you use your computer at work to bask in the buckets of fake grue.

But you don't have to stand around in the snow like at Sundance, or wade through the beautiful people.

You can enjoy a virtual pressbox seat for the annual Berlin Film Festival, which starts today. The US normally ignores this festival, but the media is hyping it because Martin Scorsese is debuting his documentary of the Rolling Stones, "Shine In Light", and because Jagger's quip at a press conference that this is Marty's first film to NOT feature the song "Gimme Shelter" was actually funny.

The official website and trailer is here. One notable element to this doc - Marty is often onscreen, as the movie is as much about the show as it is about how he filmed the show. And guests like Buddy Guy, Jack White and others perform with the band too.

Sweeping Declaration: The Stones are the best rock band in the world. When your fave band has passed the 45-year mark, then let me know. Otherwise, the Stones are it. (That means if Hannah Montana is packing arenas every year for the next 44 years, she could be in the running. But we know that's not gonna happen. And she'll never have an album with a zipper down the front either.)

In other film festival news, SXSW in Austin is just a month away, and the full rundown on all 64 films is here. Winner of the Best Title Award already goes to Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay.

Also showing at SXSW is the zombie movie my brother is in, "Dance of the Dead", filmed last Spring in Rome, Georgia. He gives the details on the day he spent as a zombie here.

Finally today, writer/director George Romero wants to see your scary movie. In a contest, which ends on Feb 29th, to promote his new zombie movie "Diary of the Dead", you can get your horror movie (of 3 minutes or less) included with the DVD release of Romero's latest.

All the details here at his MySpace page.

Sea Monsters Attack Internet?

There is something fishy happening to some of the transoceanic communications cables which provide internet connections. Three and perhaps as many as five of them have somehow been cut.

No internet for many nations.

How and why were they cut? Could it be sea monsters???



(yes, the week has been far too stressful and serious)

I Don't Approve

A heap of non-factual, semi-factual and otherwise distorted paranoia landed in my email yesterday from someone I know, all about how this person is in a twist because of (whisper the word) "Mexicans."

The massive numbers of non-facts, the furor of fearfulness and my low threshold of tolerating hoo-ha yesterday made me actually write back to refute the info. This person who sent the original email is not a "bad person", but that email pretty much reeked of dangerously bad ideas.

Here's a sample of the email sent to me:

"I have been hammered with the propaganda that it is the Iraq war and the war on terror that is bankrupting us. I now find that to be RIDICULOUS. Now, I hope the following 14 reasons are forwarded over and over again until they are read so many times that the reader gets sick of reading them. I have included the URL's for verification of all the following facts.

1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year."

My response to that, from the very article cited, was that law prevents any such aid being given to "illegal immigrants". To legal immigrants, yes, aid is given. I'm not linking to the article cited as I am not eager to drive web traffic to that site.

And I also commented that the funding for the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan comes from borrowing money, not from existing tax revenue streams. The response I got to that was the following:

"Do you sense we are being overrun? It's not easy to know know who is legal and who is illegal. Hang out at DHS some day, or the Health Department and just observe. I felt like a foreigner when at the Health Department for a T.B. test last summer. There was not one local in the waiting room, but it was filled with Hispanic people who did not speak English - or let's put it this way, they were not speaking English in my presence. Take a walk through our elementary schools and see even more. And there are days, when crimebeat makes my eyes pop!! I know several legal Hispanics and have a couple that good friends from Puerto Rico and one from Guatemala - so it's not that I dislike these folks, I don't, but it looks like if we continue the way we're going, one day, our local government will look a whole lot different. Hey! That might be a good thing! tee hee"

So I am sadly left with the realization the email was not meant to start a discussion - it was instead an unhappy emotional reaction to having non-whites in the neighborhood. Other problems are obvious in those comments, too.

I know I'm not the only person who gets ramped-up, half-truthful email screeds on some "vital topic" of the moment. And yes, responding to such is fruitless. But if I did not respond, then perhaps my silence could be taken as approval. And I don't approve.

Election Aftermath

The county by county results of the state's primaries are available at the TN Dept. of State website.These are unofficial results, awaiting certification. Statewide turnout was 36% of registered voters.

Curious to see how some counties had very close (sometimes not so close) battles between Huckabee and McCain. Also notable, the number of Democrats voting statewide outpaced the number of Republicans. Are Republicans so unhappy over the concept of "conservative purity" that they will sit home this fall and not vote in the actual election? More on that here. And here, too, Huckabee's win of Southern states ... does this reflect a split GOP and a certainty the next president, no matter who wins the nomination, will be a Democrat?

Or perhaps the question should be - is there any ticket which would allow for a GOP president to be elected?

One clear winner in the elections/primaries -- Knox County got rid of some bad ju-ju.

Hamblen County Election Returns

Some early returns, mostly early voting and absentee ballots (scroll down for full returns), out of Hamblen County --

In the presidential primary for the GOP: John McCain had the lead with about 41% of the votes, followed by Bill Huckabee 32% and then Mitt Romney with 17%

In the presidential primary for the Democrat party: Hillary Clinton with about 66%, Barack Obama with 12%.

The local sales tax increase referendum was a dead heat, with about 51% voting yes, 49% voting no.

Surprising to me is that the ultra conservative district went so largely with McCain, despite many GOP pundits refuting him as a "liberal." On the Democrat side, it's no surprise that Clinton has such a commanding lead. Many women have held and do hold office, while there are no minorities in office. Only two minorities, both men, a father and son, have ever held office in the county.

UPDATE 1: Local radio WCRK news reporters, joined by County Mayor David Purkey on the scene live at the county courthouse, make no bones they hope the sales tax increase is approved. As of 9:15 p.m, the vote favoring the tax leads the No votes by some 130 votes.

Meanwhile, MCain's lead over Huckabee has decreased, with McCain at 38.5%, Huckabee at 33.4%.

Final returns should be in momentarily.

UPDATE 2, FINAL RETURNS: The sales tax referendum fails, with No votes at 5759, Yes votes at 5668. Total turnout estimated at 40.8%.

McCain wins the county with 37.7%, Huckabee 35.3%, Romney 17.9%.

Clinton wins the county with 68.7%, Obama with 22.7%.

No return total votes were given out in the WCRK broadcast in the primaries for John Edwards, Fred Thompson or Ron Paul or any other candidates on the presidential ballots.

UPDATE 3, SULLIVAN COUNTY, STATEWIDE RETURNS: Sullivan County saw Huckabee win the GOP primary over McCain, with 36.9% over 31.4%.

Statewide totals, with only 8 of 95 counties shows Huckabee ahead, 39.94% and McCain with 31.7%, and Romney with 17.5%. Fred Thompson has 3.37%

Rep. Davis Rallies GOP With Old Time Revival

"The crowd responded very enthusiastically when Davis quoted Psalm 33:12, which says: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." He noted that the verse does not say "whose God was the Lord," and pointed out the difference.

"We should protect 'Under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance: return prayer to our schools; maintain 'In God We Trust' on our money; and allow the Ten Commandments to remain on courthouse lawns and walls," Davis said, to considerable applause.

"And finally, we must protect the rule of law," he said. "During the 45 years leading up to the Immigration Act of 1965, 10 million immigrants came to the U.S. and were successfully integrated into American culture." But the onset that began then and accelerated has "overwhelmed our ability to assimilate."

This year, Davis noted, 1.3 million immigrants will enter this country, 400,000 of them illegal.

"If America is to survive as a safe and sovereign country," he said, "We must protect our borders. I call on the president and the Democrat leaderhip in Congress to build the fence now, not later." Davis said extending citizenship to children born in this country should be limited to those having at least one parent who is an Ameican citizen.

All comments from your local Congressman, David davis, as reported in the Greeneville Sun.

Davis was certain to invoke his unending support for war in Iraq, was certain to mention 9-11, and other concerns of the fearful and he did not disappoint. No mention of enforcing the laws on business which relies on illegal immigrants, just distaste for immigrants.

I hope voters take note of all the current office-holders and candidates who share these views. Are they representing you? Or do they represent a view more 19th Century that 21st Century?

Election Nervous Breakdown

The state is among several ranked as "High Risk" for voting machine tampering or malfunctions today. Since Tennessee uses electronic machines, we "do not produce an independent, voter-verifiable paper record that could be used in the case of a recount or audit." The full report on the factors involved is here.

The sad fact is that that since the 2000 presidential election, confidence in the security, accuracy and the counting and casting of votes remains in doubt as little has been done to address the problems. How they work, how we use them, and much more continues to be nebulous quandary for the vast majority of voters. And since 2000, there has not been an election where critical questions on accuracy have not emerged, either locally or nationally.

Nashville filmmaker David Earnhardt has been screening his movie documenting the uncertainties, "Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections" and holding discussions after each screening. The movie website is here.

So in addition to the "act-of-faith" element to a voter's decision in general, there is even more when pondering if and how the votes are counted. If oversight of the just how the machine works and how to correct malfunctions exists only in the hands of the few ....

The state legislature has a Voter Confidence Act Study Committee did meet last week, and committee member Rep. Susan Lynn says some legislation is being reviewed:

"Because of the concerns over ballotless voting equipment, some states reconsidered their use of electronic equipment in the 2006 elections. Congress is currently considering banning equipment without a paper ballot and funding replacement machines.

Tennessee House Bill 1256 would mandate replacement of all electronic voting machines without a paper ballot at a cost of $25 million. I believe that the General Assembly should commit to fund this legislation whether or not Congress sends us the money. HB 1282, legislation that I have sponsored each year since 2004, will ensure that going forward, all new voting equipment purchased in Tennessee will have a paper ballot.

A frightening quote by Joseph Stalin states, "Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything." Tyranny relies on secret processes controlled by a scant few. The Voter Confidence Act Study Committee has voted to put the ballot back into the hands of the people. Let us pray the General Assembly will ultimately vote to do the same."

Today, as we vote, none of these proposed changes will apply, even 8 years after the chaos of the 2000 election.

Weekly Best of TN Blogs

It's a Super Bowl/ Super Tuesday edition of the best in Tennessee blogs -- via TennViews. The coverage, the stories and the writing you'll find here is always a great collection.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Electability: You can argue the merits of one candidate over another, but with three potential Supreme Court appointments waiting for the next president, it is absolutely essential that we elect a Democrat in November. Also: The Kennedy Scorecard

• 55-40 Memphis: Can he?: Think about it. If you work in the White House and Bill stops by your desk, will you tell him politely that you take orders only from his wife?

• Ablignation (a new addition to the blogroll and roundup): Barack Obama: America's Only Hope: With the most unfortunate departure of John Edwards from the Presidential race, we now find our Democratic selves left only with the choices the media picked for us....

• Andy Axel (at KnoxViews): McCain, Rewound...: In this process of self-re-invention, McCain is now opposing legislation that he actually championed, or worse, wrote.

• Aunt B.: My Lack of Unbridled Optimism: Since I was six years old, we’ve either had a Bush or Clinton living in the White House or next in line to live in the White House. That’s no way to run a healthy democracy.

• BlountViews (Farmer John): Fred Thompson for President?: I DEMAND A RETRACTION OF THE ENDORSEMENT!

• The Crone Speaks: Some Specific Questions for Clinton and Obama: We are left with a symbolic vote rather than a vote for real progress at a time when progress is needed most. Plus: Rightwing World: A trip through the Looking Glass

• Cup of Joe Powell: Debating Politics: Perhaps Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee should consider hiring Britney Spears or Paris Hilton to their campaign staff in order to get some media attention. And: A Human Digital Interface (on the Pupblish2 Tennessee election coverage project): It's more than just adding a human editor to search engine algorithms, it's also about how we structure and understand the world around us.

• The Donkey's Mouth: Welcome Huckabee & Co.: The Donkey’s Mouth welcomes Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee to Nashville. ... In case anyone has forgotten, The Donkey’s Mouth brings you this reminder of the last time [Huckabee campaign architect] Saltsman and SALT PAC were in the news...

• Enclave: A Late Breaking Voter Watching the Last Democratic Debate before Tennessee Votes on Tuesday: I wavered and went back and forth, but John Edwards' withdrawal pretty much took my safety net away (although voting for him is still an option for me). So, tonight's debate is incredibly important to my decision on Tuesday. (Ed. note: some good live blogging and commentary.)

• Fletch: Humanscapes. Also: North Carolina Doing Its Part to Keep the Great Smokies Smoky

• KnoxViews: Tough choices Americans shouldn't have to make (R. Neal): It is immoral and just plain wrong that anyone in America has to make decisions like this. Yet millions do every day.. And: Obama: wrong then or wrong now? Also: Tennessee Feb 5th election certification delay, plus: Yes, We Can (mjw)

• Lean Left: Reagan Worship Good For Progressives? (Kevin): I wonder if the necessity of paying lip service to that ultra-conservative, ideologue-above-all myth of Reagan in order to impress the base makes it harder for Republicans to appeal to moderates in the general election. Plus: Voter ID Laws (tgirsch): Last weekend, I pulled a little stunt to make a point about voter ID laws. I chose to use the gun rights movement as an example here, because many of their legitimate complaints about various gun control laws ... apply to voter ID laws.

• Left of the Dial: Just The Two Of Us: An imaginary possible phone conversation between Mitt Romney and John McCain...

• Left Wing Cracker: Maybe he can....: Yes, I have already voted for John Edwards, and I have my reasons. However, for those of you who say that you cannot do that, and that it is down to Hillary or Barack, I will say this...

• Liberadio: Stop Spreading the (Fake) News

• Loose TN Canon: More proof that Bush weakens America: And the GOP front runner McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 yrs...

• NewsComa: John Edwards Asks To Remain On Rhode Island Ballot. And: The Reason I Will Vote For Barack Obama Tuesday

• Pesky Fly: Please Obama, win me: Unity is not an issue. And it shouldn't be an issue because it's meaningless at best and possibly antithetical to itself. (Everybody shows up to the kegger happy, but if there's only a six-pack...).

• Progressive Nashville: Progressive Nashville: America's path: But the most important element in determining America's path is the people. And, Where America Stands: The economy, Values, Health care, and The Truth

• Resonance: Shell Oil Hints At Peak Oil: We now have energy company leaders talking about the upcoming oil supply crunch. Where is the political leadership on this issue?

• RoaneViews: Official Sample Ballot (Corvus): This is an overly complicated mess for a simple choice between two groups of candidates.

• Russ McBee: With Edwards out, things shift: At least until the convention, the race between Clinton and Obama will now shrivel into two camps shouting "Hope!" and "Experience!" at each other, with little discussion of the real problems the country faces. And: Congressional Dems find more streamlined way to cave to Bush

• Sean Braisted: TNR Tennessee Rundown: The New Republic profiles Tennessee's primary today. And: : ...the truth is most people don't pay attention to minute policy differences when choosing a candidate; like it or not, personality goes a long way in making that decision.

• Sharon Cobb: Last Night We Witnessed History: Right now my mind is flooded with all the events of the 60s I participated in, yet I'm smart enough to step to the side and let a new generation of activists take their place in this complex progression. Plus: Snoop Dogg Torn Between Obama and Clinton: I know what you're thinking. Where's the punchline, right?

• Silence Isn't Golden: California Dreamin', On Such A Winter's Day: And the labor unions are dreaming of the candidate who will best support labor now that John Edwards has dropped out. Who might that candidate be? And: A Profound Sadness, And Why I'll Always Be A Democrat: I believe that yes, it is my problem when someone in the wealthiest nation in the world can't afford their medications.

• Southern Beale: Iraq 4 Ever: That is why those of us on the left, written off as “defeatocrats” and worse, have been saying all along that we need to cut off war funding. Period.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Hillary Fans in CA: 'Yes, SHE Can!!' (Video): As Todd notes, "her opponents underestimate the passion people have for her at their peril." And: Obama Attacks Universal Health Care With the Return of Harry & Louise: What the hell is Obama thinking?

• TennViews (Eleanor A): McCain on the Environment: In contrast to the media's saintly image of Republican Senator John McCain, his voting record is that of a Reagan-era, deregulation-happy extremist. And: Democratic Presidential Candidates - Senate Voting Record Comparison (bizgrrl). Plus: Super Tuesday poll preview (R. Neal). And finally: Ode to Edwards, a Wednesday roundup of reaction

• Vibinc: The War on Krugman: Working to discredit one of the only consistent liberal voices in the MSM is counterproductive to progressives, and ultimately counterproductive to Obama. Take it down a notch Barak, between this and your rabid fan-boys, you’re not winning any friends, you’re pissing a bunch of us off.. And: Sports and Politics: The difference between a national party and a sports organization is that we are the stockholders of the organization. That position gives us more influence in the party than in any sports organization.

• West Tennessee Liberal: Trouble up ahead in '08...: What is wrong with Democratic voters? I feel like we vote to lose...first Gore wouldn't enter the race, and then the party turned on John Edwards, the banner of Democratic Party populism, who was shown to be the only Democratic candidate running who could beat any Republican.

• Whites Creek Journal: Saturday Funnies ("Don't Tease me, Bro!") And: I hear voices...See 'em, too... (a multimedia roundup)

• Women's Health News: Ridiculous Lawmaker of the Day: Mayhall Wants to Ban Obese from Eating: ...this is so offensive that it barely warrants explanation of the offense. Let’s have a go at it, anyway... Bonus: I’m Cranky, and These Labor Nurses Aren’t Helping

National Primary Day Ahead

More minds, ink, attention, web sites, TV and radio are focused on the giant, nearly national primary election day this Tuesday than ever before. (Jack Lail breaks down how the Knox News Sentinel and Publish2, aided by yours truly and several other bloggers are furiously providing coverage on the state primary and much, much more.)

Unlike, say, today's Super Bowl battle where you have a pretty clear idea of who is likely to win - the election is still an unknown. And even with never-before-seen 24 states holding elections on the same day, a clear leader may or may not emerge.

Tennessee offers more delegates for Democrats (85 total) than for Republicans (just 55 total for them). Worth noting too - voters in Tennessee have for 11 presidential elections gone with the eventual winner of the national race.

In-state fundraising efforts so far have given the more dollars to Romney than McCain or Huckabee and for Obama rather than Clinton.

Typically in the past, a state's governor got the state election machines rolling for a candidate - less so this year. Gov. Bredesen, for example, has not endorsed a candidate, and he has had some conflicts with Hillary Clinton. Nationwide, Governors in the Republican Party have shown little support for Romney (getting only 3 of a potential 22 endorsements).

But the usual guides to who might have an edge - campaign fundraising, endorsements, earlier primary results, etc - still point in many directions.

Some things, however, do not seem to change --while teaching some students (ranging from 5th thru 8th grade) yesterday, the topic of the primaries came up and they all agreed that the politicians only do one thing consistently: lie.

A Human Digital Interface

As I mentioned earlier today, I've been asked to participate in a sort of online experiment to cover the Super Tuesday primary in Tennessee (and beyond) as part of a group of bloggers and the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Key to gathering all the info and data are the folks with Publish2, and you can see the Publish2 Blog here, which includes the current group effort on Tennessee Election news on the right hand side of the page underneath the Categories. Or just click here to see the latest and complete listings via TennViews.

I like what I've been reading about Publish2 today, and thought Scott Karp's post from last August on the concepts of "Trusted Human Editors In Filtering The Web" was full of fascinating but familiar ideas which are finding new applications on the internet.

And by familiar I mean a long ongoing process where each of us learn to rate and value the information and stories we collect every day based on a complex set of qualifications. In other words, we know some people will relay to us some sound and reasoned thought and some people relay less than sound ideas. What's new is translating that concept into the uses and usage out here on the Wild, Wild Web. It's more than just adding a human editor to search engine algorithms, it's also about how we structure and understand the world around us.

Camera Obscura - Hannah Montana 3-D and Other Concert Films: The Ultimate Big Lebowski

"IDK if I'm aloud to got watch it but I love her!!!!!!"

Such text messages and internet forums are filled with the above comments, a sure sign a tween-aged girl is intent on seeing the concert movie "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Digital Disney 3-D". Clocking in at just under 74 minutes, it really isn't a movie, just a snippet of the live show of the slickly produced singer. But Hannah/Miley is a massive money machine with no signs of slowing down.

As one who was early to diss the "career" of her father Billy Ray Cyrus, I confess I had no idea he would spawn a marketing/manufacturing monster, perhaps even capable of being the first official icon of 21st century entertainment who didn't implode and shatter on the rocks of some rehab center.

I was talking with a group of kids recently who are in the very middle of the Hannah demographic, and asked them what it was they liked so much. The answer seemed to be that she was just simply "theirs" to delight in. She's their icon, and speaks/acts/sings just for them. No adults, no high schoolers, but Pure Tween manifested on the earthly plane.

For all the talk about how Hannah celebrates empowerment, she mostly seems to celebrate shopping and style. Wal-Mart and Disney are already offering 140 items in Hannah Montana shops in the Wal-Mart stores, with items ranging from apparel to decor and anything else that can sport a logo. As the press release says, "Fans who love Hannah Montana will soon find more than they imagined at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart Stores, together with Disney Consumer Products, will bring more families more affordable access than ever before to Hannah Montana merchandise and activities in 2008."

Girl consumers seem to have an Americanized version of Japan street fashion with Hannah/Miley duality, where emulating a lifestyle means you've purchased a lot of products.

To even further signify the line between young consumers and old consumers, the old folks have their own 3-D concert film too - "U2 3D". The title of the concert film even sounds like the name of that droid you liked in "Star Wars".

Irish mega-rockers U2 offer a concert movie which clocks in at 85 minutes, and the 3D tech is truly immersive. While the band and lead singer Bono tend to generate headlines about politics and fame, their concerts are jaw-dropping good. Watching them in the Georgia Dome in the mid-90s, both the walls of sound and the stage presence of the band filled the arena from top to bottom. And when they manipulate consumer urges, it's ironic, so it's ok, right?

Carefully prepped, techno-smart concert movies, however, aren't really very meaningful as a movie experience. For my money, two other movies do far better to capture the event of a concert. That's "Woodstock" and "Monterey Pop". The music is the center of the action, but the films are also about the event itself. If you think the choices are too old-skool for you, then the Beastie Boys concert movie compiled from the videos shot by the audience, "Awesome: I F***in' Shot That!" may suit you better. Almost an anti-commercial effort, it's experimental style is quite unique.

Would you want your Tween to watch those movies? Probably not. But just how much exposure to live concerts by pop/rock stars is right for a Tween anyway?

------

As the Coen brothers eye Oscar gold for their film, "No Country For Old Men," their 1998 movie "The Big Lebowski" has reached a level of fame and fans normally found at a Star Trek convention (or perhaps a Hannah Montana concert??). To aid the newcomers and the diehards, a guidebook is now available.

"I'm A Lebowski, You're A Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What-Have-You" is the ultimate guide to The Dude and the movie.

New Election Coverage Project

I've been asked to join a group blog effort to cover the Super Tuesday primary and the elections in Tennessee by Jack Lail with the Knoxville News Sentinel. The project allows for combined effort from some bloggers here in Tennessee and the reporting of the Knox News folks to create a page that's chock full of sites and stories.

Michael Silence has more info on the project here, and others participating include TN bloggers participating: Newscoma, R. Neal, Russ McBee, Ben Cunningham, Bob Krumm, Les Jones, and Jack Lail .

I see this morning that R. Neal at TennViews already has a nifty sidebar on his site which shows some of the stories and web sites already tagged. He's way techno-smarter than I am. But as soon as I get the details on adding the aggregated links here on this humble but lovable blog, I'll add it in later today, so be sure and check back.

I'll also be adding some of my own thoughts on the election in general, but up next today will be my regular Friday movie news and reviews.

TN Senate Again Targets Abortion

Though the state's Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that our own Constitution takes priority over the federal one regarding a woman's choice when it comes to issues related to pregnancy, the state's Senate has (again, making it the 4th time) approved a plan to amend the Constitution to remove legal rights status on such issues:

"Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion."

The vote breaks down as follows:

Senators voting aye were: Beavers, Black, Bunch, Burchett, Burks, Crowe, Finney L, Finney R, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Ketron, Kilby, McNally, Norris, Southerland, Stanley, Tracy, Watson, Wilder, Williams, Woodson, Mr. Speaker Ramsey -- (23).

Senators voting no were: Berke, Harper, Haynes, Herron, Kurita, Kyle, Marrero, Roller, Tate -- (9.)

It's strange to me to see the GOP in the state focus on this issue, when Tennessee has much to improve on in the arena of providing for mothers, fathers and children. Some just provided info on the "Best Cities to Have A Baby" ranks Nashville 33rd, and offers some other facts to boot:


•Compared to other states, Tennessee has among the least generous family-leave and disability laws in our survey.

•According to data from the CDC, maternal mortality in Tennessee is especially high.

•12 percent of pregnant women here receive late or inadequate prenatal care. That's the 4th worst score in our survey, compared to an average of 5 percent.

•32 percent of babies in Tennessee are born via Cesarean section, among the highest in our survey. The average is 27 percent.

•State laws do not require health insurance companies to provide or offer any fertility-related services.

•Nashville-Davidson has only 3 licensed home day cares for every 1,000 children under 4 years, the 3rd lowest in our survey. The average city in our survey has 13.

Debating Politics

I tuned in for the Republican debate last night and noted some curious things -

It's odd to me the most prominent thing in the Reagan Library is an airplane. I understand wanting to include the airplane, but maybe they should have called the facility the Reagan Memorial and Museum.

Though there were four candidates at the debate, the media only gave attention to two of them. Perhaps Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee should consider hiring Britney Spears or Paris Hilton to their campaign staff in order to get some media attention. (Maybe the TV news folk could gather all the celebrities for the candidates and we could have a Battle of the Stars team competition to determine who gets the nominations.)

I continue to hear and read a lot of complaints that GOP Senator John McCain is not a Republican. But Republican voters seem to think he's jes' fine. Does that mean the real complaint is that a majority of Republican voters aren't really Republicans?

For more debate thoughts, Volunteer Voters has a selection from Tennessee bloggers. And a fresh new GOP in Tennessee poll says McCain has the edge to win.

Also much unhappiness yesterday, via this collection at TennViews, that John Edwards dropped out of the presidential race. From what I've read, Edwards would have done quite well in Tennessee, though I doubt he could have done better than tie for second place.

I've been trying to get a handle on various issues which the candidates are stumping about as we get closer to the massive primaries next Tuesday and will be blogging often about it and sharing links with you.

The Super Tuesday effect is hitting the media as well, as the recent Pew study notes:

"The presidential campaign continued to dominate national news coverage last week, and the public remained highly engaged in the ongoing contest. Nearly 40% of the national newshole was devoted to the campaign, and 36% of the public listed the campaign as the single news story they were following more closely than any other.

Democratic frontrunners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were the most prominent figures in the news last week. When asked to name the person they had heard the most about in the news lately, 24% of the public named Obama and 23% named Clinton. In a week when he proposed a major economic stimulus plan, just 5% of Americans named George Bush as the person they had heard the most about. About twice as many (11%) named Hollywood actor Heath Ledger, who died last week."

Presidential Linkage

Some presidential campaign link love for your Tuesday:

-- Alice gives out the skinny on working to assist the John Edwards presidential campaign.

-- Undecided voters in the latest poll on candidate preference in Tennessee will be the deciders. (via Silence Isn't Golden)

-- Neo-con ET blogger David Oatney eyes the primary battle in Florida today and says Romney is the man and fears the liberalness of McCain.

-- Still others say the problem with McCain is that he's too much like President Bush.

-- An overview of the candidates and the primaries in the South.

Thoughts on an Odd Case of Alleged Teen Terror

An arrest last week in Nashville of a 16 year old boy from California has left me pondering many questions. Headlines and TV reports across the country said the teen, flying on Southwest Airlines, was "foiled" in a "botched hijacking" attempt of the airline. Some seriously mistaken reports claimed the teen was going to make the plane crash into a Hannah Montana concert - even though the teen was flying on a Tuesday and the concert in Louisiana was on Saturday. So short of some astonishing time-travel, Hannah was never in danger.

The press reported the teen was in possession of three items, none banned on planes, to effect the "hijack" - a pair of handcuffs, some duct tape and some yarn. The yarn was first reported to be rope, but it was just yarn. Also curious were claims the teen had a "mock cockpit" in his home in California, but no, it was "a photograph of the inside of a small airplane" according to Nashville prosecutor Jon Seaborg.

On Friday, a Nashville judge charged the teen with "juvenile misconduct' and he was sent home - and home is apparently in a small suburb of San Francisco, called Novato.

The Novato Advance reported:

"It could have been interpreted as harmless or a joke, but it still (is) something we have to take seriously. Whether anything could realistically be carried out is irrelevant," Seaborg said in a prepared statement Friday afternoon."

(Perhaps I should ask for some follow-up on this story from Brittney Gilbert, who is now working as a blogger for KPIX in San Fran.)

Anyway, the reports all sort of indicated that the FBI and the TSA had varying accounts of the incident. And let's say the teen did have some actual plan involving handcuffs, yarn and tape. But he apparently took no overt action, so it's pretty tough to imagine how he might have sought to use the items. I was glad to read the judge in Nashville drop charges significantly and send the boy home.

The reporting sure seems a bit hysterical but it does indicate something afoot in the minds of law enforcement - that something you might be thinking about could be a cause for arrest. And that idea has been bugging me since I read about it.

When discussing the incident with some friends, we decided that it takes very little to cause massive leaps in logic to label actions as a threat of terrorism or some other nefarious act of mass destruction. It's as if there is a persistent belief that any one among us could be mere moments away for an act of horrifying destruction.

It's the all or nothing days, as if we live in the most fragile realities and the stakes are higher than a world series of Texas Hold 'Em.

Many times in recent weeks and months, I've read local online news accounts of a wide range of alleged criminal acts and it seems the comments on such reports from the general public take about a nanosecond to decide that the suspect involved should be publicly tortured or maybe just given a hanging or other types of fierce punishments. The thought I am left with most after encountering such items is that the dubiously empowered "court of public opinion" has much in common with the ignorant and superstitious purges of a medieval-era of madness.

Our ready-made suspicions make it difficult to identify all the things that are right with the world, and focus instead on nameless dreads and invisible enemies. Blame for every evil is pointed at The Republicans, The Democrats, at Hispanics, at children, at music, at TV and movies, at Anything Even The Tiniest Amount Not-Me.

I'm more than ready to move away from the Monsters On Maple Street neighborhood and return to less fearful times.

How about you?

The Slipper Tongue

A mini-tempest appeared last week with talk about how President Bush has utterly misunderstood a painting of a cowboy a'ridin' up a hill, and that his skewed view of the painting tells us all much about our president.

The painting is by one W.H. D. Koerner, and while governor in Texas, Bush referred to it by the title "A Charge to Keep", even using that phrase as title of his own biography. Bush said the painting was of a Methodist minister a'ridin' hard and fast up a treacherous hill, intent on spreading his religion to all, no matter the odds. "What adds complete life to the painting for me is the message of Charles Wesley that we serve One greater than ourselves" wrote Bush.

But according to a new book, and as reported too by Sydney Blumenthal in 2007, the interpretation was not exactly the intent of the artist. The painting originated as a depiction of a horse thief trying to escape from a posse. (see the painting in the link)

"Only that is not the title, message, or meaning of the painting. The artist, W.H.D. Koerner, executed it to illustrate a Western short story entitled “The Slipper Tongue,” published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1916. The story is about a smooth-talking horse thief who is caught, and then escapes a lynch mob in the Sand Hills of Nebraska. The illustration depicts the thief fleeing his captors. In the magazine, the illustration bears the caption: “Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught.”

Now as part of this tempest has been the incredulous shock of some, who say "look at how Bush's mistaken interpretation of a work of art tells us so much about him!"

However - none of us need rely on Bush's views on art to "tell us" about the man and the president.

We have nearly 8 years of his interpretation of the Constitution, the rule of law, the balance of governmental powers, his choices for governmental appointments, and so many more of his actions tell us all about the man and the president.

Weekly Best of Tennessee Blogs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Fletch: The Sand Man, and Afternoon Walk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Norbit" and "Transformers".

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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