NewscomaGot A Two-Pack Habit And A Motel Tan

This has been an eventful week in Tennessee and in Hoots.

No one is shocked that the House and Senate overrode the governor’s veto on guns in restaurants/bars, but signs are being thrown up around here quicker than you can say Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill.

William Howard Hobbs is out as communication director of the TNGOP, which quite frankly surprises me. There are many times that I would scratch my head, roll my eyes, shake my fist to the sky and sigh deeply with some of his antics, but no one can say that the man wasn’t stealth with his pressers. Jackson Baker, however, was not surprised at all.

Steve Ross is on top of what’s happening in Memphis. A quick recap has to do with the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center and that two rape victims were turned away from the center because they didn’t have the staff to help them. Ross is following the press conferences and breaking down the funding trail. It’s sad actually because MSARC used to be the model for the south in victim’s assistance. Now it appears that politics may be standing in the way to help victims.

GoldnI made this point earlier this week regarding bloggers in Nashville. I think it needs to be revisited.

The importance of that information cannot be emphasized enough.  Bloggers want to help!  Bloggers want to be a part of the conversation.  But we can’t do that if we have no idea what’s going on, and that’s where we need the help of those in the legislature who can feed us that information.  You can’t be angry at us for not saying the “right” things if all we’re hearing is the “wrong” things.  If I could have said one more thing to Mike Turner, to paraphrase Jerry Maguire–”help us help you.”

has won the best bathroom in America.

The Hermitage Hotel has afternoon tea in the grand lobby. Down-filled duvets (that’s a fancy word for comforters). A presidential suite with 2,000 square feet. And a really nice toilet.

I’m constantly perplexed why I can’t find a job doing judging things of this nature.

A quick question for you regarding this post at Kleinheider’s abode.

What does this mean? Seriously. I’m a huge fan of verification and I think this is something you need to address. I’ll reserve judgment until you make a statement, but I’m just wondering. Apparently the Associated Press confirmed information about Bill Freeman but I want to hear from you about it.

You see, I don’t know what to think about it but there is a part of me that doesn’t like it very much. I understand money and all, and I also know a lot of business people donate to both sides of the aisle because they feel like it gives them leverage including Gov. Ned McWherter, but it still doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Average folks don’t have that kind of money just to toss around. They do, however, have time which is also valuable. That time has to be earned though. You know that.

Also, regarding your Twitter account, could you please follow the members of the blogosphere back. It appears you are just following Tennessee politicians and, you know this, you already know what they are saying. I realize the political people don’t like communication, but it’s sort of necessary in this day and age.

And, with that said, please don’t be all PR guy. Answer the tough questions as well as the softball lobs.

Thanks,

‘Coma

I’m going to talk about politics. If that isn’t your thing, here is a picture of a bag of eggs.

So Chip Forrester was voted as Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party yesterday. I was talking to Left Wing Cracker about it before the vote and we discussed one thing that I also saw from commenter Jen from East Tennessee mention on this long thread at Kleinheider’s house.

We were wondering if folks outside Nashville will be able to have more accessibility to information about the party. Apparently Jen has the same questions from the east side.

Here’s my thing; I don’t care who is in charge as long as Nashville gets the message that we WANT a party in the East. So far I charge the TNDP with 140+ years of malpractice in terms of East Tennessee. Who is going to fix that? From what little I’ve heard from Forrester, he’s indicated at least an interest. If he can’t get along with the powers that be then perhaps the powers that be will get the message that Forrester won because a lot of democrats feel neglected.

Another commenter who is called looking to 2010 wrote this back to Jen.

And this is why the Internet rules the roost.

Poet and novelist James Dickey once dated my grandmother. That little story I’ve known for years.

Just read the whole thing. It’s wonderful.

The power shift is changing. I honestly don’t know why west Tennessee legislators aren’t paying attention. And if they are, many of them are so involved with the game of politics that they are forgetting about the day-to-day lives of the constituents who voted for them.

Let me repeat, YOUR CONSTITUENTS! The people in your district, regardless if they voted for you or not, are watching plants leave, businesses close and a very real crunch of small businesses (talk to Homer) and it seems like no one is communicating.

How many times do I have to say the gravy days are over for NW Tennesseans only thanks to Gov. Ned McWherter because it did start moving south when he left office.

The voices are silent for the most part.

Man, there are times that I wish that progressive state-wide reps would watch what Barack Obama’s PR team did nationwide but I guess that would be asking for too much progress or something.

And then I sigh.

And this is the kind of writing that makes me love Kathy T. who talks of loss and love.

I don’t want to be scared of death.  But through my death, I know the memory of my existence on Earth is limited.  I’m not a king or queen or messiah nor is my face carved in stone (for the Taliban to eventually blow up) nor have I achieved something so incredible that I’ll even make an encyclopedia – not even Wikipedia.  But that thought doesn’t bother me like it would have 20 or 30 years ago.  Because in my old age, I know how I’ve remembered people and passed their stories other generations.  Maybe those stories will survive, maybe they won’t, and maybe along with them will be stories about me.  “Remember when Mom blew her nose?  It was so loud!”   Either way it won’t matter because either I’ll be gone and so will my own memory or I’ll be in heaven or hell living on.  Or I’ll be a ghost coming back to scare the crap out of people which I think would be a lot of fun.

She is wonderful. And we need her. She’s that good.

Aunt B. wrote about a couple of things that made me do that crazy thing called introspection and the like so I’d write about it here. She points to a story about an elderly woman who voted just moments before she died.

The news story, via Shakesville, is here.

Then she also wrote about her personal reaction to early voting and how it was filled with a great deal of emotion.

First of all, I want to say that this election cycle has been incredibly amazing. We have seen so many different things happening from new technology, a long election process and, on a personal level, in Hoots how this has been so much in the forefront of what we do here everyday.

But, as blogs are about a bit of navelgazing, we all have a personal story on why we are voting in this race. And how it’s become so ingrained that I can’t help but wonder if this is how my mother felt about Kennedy. I know we are in historical times. I wonder about how politics will change from this cycle.

But, and it shouldn’t be discounted, the emotions are real. Whether we lean right or left, there is an urgency regarding these times. My favorite Republican, Bob, who used to be an alderman here in Hoots and I have talked repeatedly about that this election will change some things. Good, bad, indifferent.

All of it.

“I don’t understand why people can’t sit down and have a conversation about the election and politics without it become a battleground,” He said earlier this week. “I’ve tried to have a sense of humor about it all.”

Bob is 69-years-old. I’m 43. He was friends with my mother. He collects antiques, has a very full social life with the ladies and sometimes it confuses some of my friends why I’m quite smitten with him. He lost more money on Wall Street a few weeks back than I will probably see in my whole life. He like PBR because he thinks it tastes good and he always puts a little salt in his beer. (My father used to do that too.)

Everyone in life needs a good conversation even when we don’t agree on who the right guy for the job is. And, yes, he does bring up lovely memories of my mom. I own that. And we are buddies.

Bob and I agree there is not anything we can do now but see how things play out next week.

But they won’t play out for the lady named Dora although she voted before he life ended. And it made me think of my mother who has been dead for nearly 11 years. I wonder what she would have thought about this race. And I bet she would laugh that for the first time in my adult life, I won’t be canceling out my father’s vote. She always canceled his out too.

So, yes Virginia, the election is wrought with emotion because the bottom line is that we are living in some very strange and odd times. And we can only hope that the times that we are going through right now will be corrected for the next generation.

Dora believed that her vote mattered. Sometimes I’m torn on whether or not my vote will make a difference but that’s when I get bogged down thinking.

And sometimes I actually seek Bob out just to hear his take on politics from his perspective.

There is always something out there to learn. And it’s more than all right to feel personally invested.

Bob And Mabel

Well, it appears that Joe The Plumber’s 15 minutes may extend to a full half hour.

I guess it was inevitable: Joe the Plumber has hired a publicist. And it’s a Nashville publicist, at that. I just returned to the office late Tuesday night after covering an event in downtown Nashville and saw the e-mail message: “We are excited to announce the addition of Joe ‘The Plumber’ Wurzelbacher to The Press Office for exclusive public relations representation!”

Joe the Plumber, the guy that said that a vote for Obama is “death to Israel.”

Wheee!!! I really need to get my 15 minutes and squeeze the hell out of it. Alas, I have no marketing skills with my own personal brand.

Well, I wonder if he can sing. I guess if Steven Seagal can make a country record, so can Joe.

Sharon Cobb is rather grossed out by it all though.

Excuse me, but I need to go throw up while I try to figure out what to pitch to Joe.

So, I’ve been under the weather, pushing it a bit too much and I am headed to Nashville for a whirlwind trip. These 14 hour trips to Nashville are wearing my butt out. Sign of age or something.

Anyhoo, I’m going to see one of my favorite singers, kd lang at the Ryman. Then Squirrel Queen and I have to be back to Hoots by noon tomorrow as she has soccer finals and I have an Octoberfest to attend.

One of these days maybe life will slow down a bit where I can sit in a muumuu and stare aimlessly at the wall.

That is not today.

Lovely.

Love is groovy.

Congratulations to Ian and Megan.

o

Go to their snazzy new website and see what the college is up to.

If you want to submit a question, here’s how you do it:

The Commission on Presidential Debates has partnered with MySpace to create a new Web site, www.MyDebates.org, to enhance the educational value of the televised debates and to engage viewers throughout the general election period. The Web site will become available in the days leading up to the first Presidential debate on September 26. You will be able to track the positions of the candidates on issues of interest to you, submit questions to candidates throughout the campaign and submit questions for possible inclusion in the October 7, Town Hall Presidential Debate.

By the way, that’s my birthday. Send presents or money.

Do you think the candidates will get stranded due to Nashville’s gas crisis?

The photo was taken on Saturday in Dickson.