Rep. Lois DeBerry (D- The Fightin’ 91st!) voted in as Speaker Pro Tempore of the House.
On January 13, 2009,
in Liberate Your Radio from The Right,
by Mary Mancini
The Network
- Things that Delight Me22 February 2012, 1:43 pm
1. President Obama being urged by BB King to sing “Sweet Home Chicago.” 2. The back of the paperback edition of Meeting Jimmie Rodgers has a quote from the Scene, “If you write about music, you should read this book. If you are a fan of American music, you should read this book.” That’s me! [...]...
- Oh, Right, Ben21 February 2012, 7:24 pm
Ha, I got so excited about how awesome the Lodge was that I forgot to tell you what handy things I learned about Ben Allen. 1. He was handsome in his younger years. I can see why Sue threw her lot in with him. 2. He was not sick for a long time before he [...]... - It’s Not a Mistake21 February 2012, 2:16 pm
Rihanna and Chris Brown have both released a remix today featuring the other on it. This is, I would guess, their public acknowledgment that they’re back together–a situation I find depressing and scary. It’s depressing because it’s so predictable. People return to their abusers all the time. And some of the reasons “I can’t live [...]... - Everyone21 February 2012, 4:02 am
I read this post over at Feministe and I want to say that I agree with her that it’s not clear that more men are being raped in this country than women. I also agree that that number is a lot closer than anyone thought, though. And here’s the thing–those people eventually come home, most [...]... - It Worked.20 February 2012, 5:45 pm
A City of Ghosts is $2.99 on Kindle and free for Amazon Prime members to borrow, however it is that you do that. It’s still $14.99 at Amazon for the book, but the price change has already taken effect at CreateSpace–just $12.99. And The Witch’s Friend is $1.99. If you buy it, please let me [...]...
- Morning Coffee – Presenting Your New Republican Overlords – Pre-Legislative Session Edition28 December 2010, 3:53 pm
The upcoming session of the Tennessee General Assembly begins in just 15 days. Between now and then there will likely be a whole bunch of nothing news wise, except for the TNDP Chair election which is about as exciting as watching socks dry in the rain (no offense guys, but seriously). Considering the huge shift from a nearly 50-50 split house to the 64-34-1 Republican super-majority, there’s gonna be a lot of changes coming our way. As Jeff Woods reports in the Nashville City paper, they ... - Morning Coffee – Surrender? No Surrender? Edition20 December 2010, 3:39 pm
In this season of giving, I’ve decided that a current events version of “The Night Before Christmas” is in order. To that end, I offer the following… Twas the week before Christmas and all through the County, Leaders in the east were assessing their bounty, The Legislature won by the right wing with care, In hopes that a Special School District would be there. The schoolchildren enjoying their Christmas break, Awaiting decisions that deciders will make, And I at my comput... - Morning Coffee – Something in the Air Edition2 December 2010, 1:27 pm
I don’t really have a lot to say this morning. I think I said myself out yesterday. Speaking of yesterday, the “sense of the commission” resolution on consolidation passed 6-3-1. Two commissioners weren’t in attendance at the time of the vote. The matter comes up again on Monday. Send your Commissioner an email in support of the resolution. It’s been busy and that business isn’t gonna stop until after the 16th. Then it’s time for the “holiday busy&... - Morning Coffee – Sharpen Your Pitchforks Edition1 December 2010, 1:15 pm
Yeah, I know. You probably thought the pitchfork sharpening season ended with the November 2nd elections. I don’t think you could have been more wrong. We live in a 24/7/365 pitchfork readiness environment now and that’s not going to change until people start feeling more certain about their economic futures. The harsh reality is that, in times like this, people can get Balkanized, in ways that may or may not be in their best interests depending on a whole host of factors, but usuall... - Morning Coffee – Post-Turkey Day Edition29 November 2010, 2:16 pm
Now that the holiday that officially sanctions gluttony is over, we can get down to really important things, like buying stuff for Christmas. Retailers are licking their chops as we speak. Black Friday and Cyber Monday will ultimately give way to “Whoopsie Wednesday” (12/22) and “I can’t find anything I want Friday” (12/24). As someone who used to co-own a retail establishment, I can tell you this is the time of year that I most dreaded and looked forward to. When t...
- The Brady Bust22 February 2012, 3:55 pm
Here’s the story of a handsome hustler, Who was pimping out three very lovely girls. All of them had hair of gold, like their mommas, The youngest one in curls. Here’s the story, of a man named Brady, Who was busy with campaigns of his own. He was married, with a newborn family, Yet he [...]... - Bills, Bills, Bills10 January 2012, 3:40 pm
At first we started out real cool,(cool) Writing some good laws i ain’t never seen But now your getting comfortable Ain’t telling that truth that you did no more Your slowly makin me read your print Your Bills they all are captioning And now you ask me for my vote (vote) Call me all day [...]... - Five Shopping Days Until Slut-O-Ween27 October 2011, 1:24 am
As I tend to warn people a lot: I was raised Mormon. You might not realize it, but Mormons have a dress code. It’s based on the standard of modesty set by wearing temple garments (those “magic Mormon underwear”), although pre-garment wearing youth are also encouraged to follow it as preparation for being endowed in [...]... - Going Postal10 September 2011, 5:06 pm
I love mail. Real mail, that is, the type made out of paper and delivered to your box by a uniformed, oath-sworn mail carrier. Even before I could explain why I loved mail, I loved it so much that in elementary school I volunteered for the job of collecting it from our box and sorting [...]... - Metro CANDO18 May 2011, 5:36 pm
The Rev. Steven S. Nelson seems to be under the misapprehension that the Metro non-discrimination ordinance dictates to private businesses what they can or cannot do. That’s not true. Private businesses in Tennessee will still be free to fire people for being homosexual or being suspected of being homosexual, according to the religious beliefs of [...]...
- Original Poetry30 March 2011, 7:59 pm
Inauguration Dayby maria BrewerStretching dreams Pop into realityand breathe deep. The air of now.Grunting, emerging, we blink.Anticipating beauty in the new expectation of fresh wisdom.Layers of caring, and percolating joy, anddeep strength surge and weRush forward to meet the calm:the sprout that pushes through the soil,the Beginning.... - Original Poetry30 March 2011, 1:30 am
To-Do Listby Maria BrewerBe radiantAlways find connectionBurn through limitsRemain out of controlDemand the room to laughHave awe for the infinity that fills creationSanctify the utter void it springs fromTransfigure self, standing on the cusp of both... - 29 March 2011, 3:35 pm
The American Dream is a noble ideal: equality and reward for hard work. Establishing values like fairness, independence, and empowerment, Americans have long sacrificed to better themselves. But in America, we have always dreamed of bringing along our communities: our palaces have been our public schools; our monuments not towering statues unless surrounded by broad public parks and playgrounds; our legacy is ensconced in public libraries, common thoroughfares, and rural electrification projects... - Take a Lunch with Democracy15 March 2011, 1:32 pm
Today is going to be Rally day on the steps of the Tennessee State House downtown. People are coming from all over Tennessee to be heard by their state legislators. And it's going to be live streamed at the website http://march15.info/What's the use of a rally? Well, haven't you heard? This is What Democracy Looks Like.... - Devastation comes in small packages as well...15 March 2011, 7:41 am
Since Friday's disaster in Japan began, we Americans have watched its unfolding. So far away, yet so close at hand; unimaginably vast disaster striking a society so much like our own. Many of the photos are of an unimaginable scale. The stuff of our civilization made wholly uncivil and unrecognizable.Unlike most of the pictures from Japan, this picture of baby and mother being checked for radiation holds a kind of devastation we can't see. I'm not a nuclear power fear-monger, but I am a realist....
- State lawmakers lack credibility on anti-gay legislation20 February 2012, 1:33 pm
PRESS RELEASE FROM TENNESSEE EQUALITYPROJECT(Monday, Feb. 20,2012) Last Wednesday, the House Education Subcommittee approved an amendedversion of HB0229, a bill historically called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill whichamends curriculum guidelines for grades K-8. The original version of the billstated that “no public elementary or middle school shall provide anyinstruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other thanheterosexuality.”Instead of explicitly prohibiting discussion ofho... - Phone Campaign to Defeat the Don't Say G_y bill (HB229)20 February 2012, 4:34 am
The "Don't Say G_y" bill (HB0229) is headed to the House Education Committee agenda on Tuesday, February 21. If you live in or near a House District represented on this committee, take action in Tennessee Equality Project's phone campaign to defeat the Don't Say G_y bill. Call your Representative today!Verify your House District and Representative at this link.Use the following script and find the phone number for your Representative below:Hello, my name is _____. I live at (y... - Inspiring letter from a Tennessee teacher19 February 2012, 1:29 pm
A teacher from rural Tennessee recently sent this letter to Tennessee Equality Project. His dedication to educating students and confronting bullying in his school inspires us to keep up the fight for safe schools and equality in our state:I am a high school teacher in a small Tennessee town. I signed this petition because it is so important for our glbtq youth and it is important to me on a personal level as well. I am a gay educator and have been discriminated against in several positions wher... - Don't Say G_y bill passes to House Education Committee16 February 2012, 12:28 pm
Rep. Joey Hensley is the sponsor of the "Don't Say G_y" bill (HB0229).The House Education Subcommitee voted in favor of an amended version of the "Don't Say G_y" bill (HB0229). The bill now heads to the House Education Committee.Despite warnings of the message such a bill sends to students in Tennessee public schools, the subcommittee voted to silence a teacher's ability to have age-appropriate discussions with K-8 students when that discussion falls outside "natural human reproduction science."... - TEP Bill Tracking 2012 Calendar Report13 February 2012, 6:05 pm
Tennessee Equality Project is actively tracking the following legislation in the second session of the 107th Tennessee General Assembly. These bills are on notice in House and Senate committees this week.12:00pm - LP 16 - House EducationCommittee 02/14/12 4. HB2414 Rep. B. Gilmore (D) Health Care: Aids studies for public outreach and education. Requires the office of research and accountability to study AIDS prevention curricula implemented by LEAs. Requires the depart...
- I’m Done28 April 2011, 2:37 pm
Even though I know I will disappointing millions of fans (like Oprah and the Soaps), I am suspending my blogging activities. Notice how serious and freaked out I look on my daily blog route, while those yoga blankets beckon behind me to open my chakras and forget the world-wide suicide I am witnessing on the [...]... - Trump…what else you got?27 April 2011, 1:38 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized... - An hour with Tina Fey26 April 2011, 11:43 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized... - FOX News Has Spoken. Period. End of Story?26 April 2011, 5:27 pm
“Fox News can confirm the President of the United States is a citizen of the United States”. Shep Smith (click for video) So, Trump, stick that info up there in your hair nest. Filed under: Uncategorized... - Palin’s SPED Plan25 April 2011, 6:24 pm
Despite Sarah Palin’s claims to the contrary, the main stream media has never seriously taken her on from any vantage point other than pop/political icon. The LA Times’ Meghan Daum’s friends wonder why the gloves have never come off with Palin. They demand she “admit the obvious”… …Palin’s rocket ride to political fame says less [...]...
- So REALLY: Why are we in Afghanistan? Iran? Iraq?17 February 2012, 9:52 pm
... - Thanks to Les Smith for putting me on FOX 13 tonight3 February 2012, 4:59 am
... - Go get some coffee, this will be a long one.1 February 2012, 2:57 am
... - We are going dark today. Here's why.18 January 2012, 6:01 am
... - On This Day..16 January 2012, 3:51 pm
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- Alberto Gonzales at UT Law22 February 2012, 5:03 pm
Authoritarian legal scholar and former Attorney General of the United States, Alberto Gonzales, is speaking at UT Law in about 25 minutes. I... read more...... - "Don't Say Stacey" bill advancing22 February 2012, 4:58 pm
District Selectman D.W. Moorehouse (R) is promoting a bill that prohibits giving children androgynous names "which confuse and promote homos... read more...... - Former WH Budget Director: Work Kills22 February 2012, 3:49 pm
Peter Orszag: Life expectancy appears to have risen more in the states with relatively large increases in unemployment... During the Great D... read more...... - No provisional voter ID ballots so far in Knox or Blount County22 February 2012, 3:39 pm
We asked Knox Co. Election Administrator Cliff Rodgers via email if they were tracking provisional ballots for voters who showed up for earl... read more...... - Tennessee Chamber of Commerce: gun bills "extremely offensive"22 February 2012, 3:06 pm
Add to the previous list state business owners, who aren't too happy with bills in the state legislature that allow employees to bring guns ... read more......
- Don't Say Stacey22 February 2012, 4:51 pm
Gender neutrality in the allocation of names is a crime against God. ... - Richard Exton on being in the loyal opposition18 February 2012, 8:07 pm
It looks like Richard Exton has moved beyond simply collecting signatures for a possible Senate District 20 race, and began making his pitch for his candidacy at a Bellevue Democrats (there are some...really) breakfast. (h/t Dru Fuller). ... - Jameson Wins Bar Poll17 February 2012, 8:34 pm
Judge Jameson has once again curried favor with his fellow Nashville Bar members who have overwhelmingly chosen him to be their candidate for the Democratic nomination in the March 6th election: In results released by the Nashville Bar Association today, Judge Mike Jameson dominated the field in recommendations by his peers to remain on the bench. Judge Jameson, who currently presides over the General Sessions Division VIII court, was "highly recommended" five times as often as any other c... - Sometimes good people do bad things17 February 2012, 8:02 pm
I'm sure all of you know by now the news about Councilman Brady Banks. I won't get into the details, you can find that elsewhere. As it seems traffic is being driven to my blog because of a story I wrote a couple weeks ago regarding his potential for the Senate District 20 spot, I thought I'd say something. I understand the "game is the game," I'm one of the worst offenders in treating politics as sport. We've all, at one time or another, experienced some level of schadenfreude over... - Haynes Is Out, Who's In The Bullpen?17 February 2012, 4:10 am
So, another one bites the dust. After three decades in service to his district, Sen. Joe Haynes has decided to let someone else take over representing the significantly altered 20th Senate District. The most likely Republican candidate is Steve Dickerson, who tried his hand at defeating Sen. Henry two years ago and was clearly unsuccessful. Moments after the Senate Republicans announced their intentions towards Davidson County, he pounced on the opportunity to run in the more Repub...
- I Am Donating A Blog Post To Steve Ross8 February 2012, 2:01 pm
The word blogger is an interesting one. People writing on platforms about what they want, be it about knitting, kittens with their heads stuck in bread or politics, the blogging world has changed the way media works to a certain … Continue reading →... - The Clint Eastwood Commercial7 February 2012, 7:24 pm
It was an ad, you know. The one with Clint Eastwood where Americans weren’t called lazy. Where he talked about resilience and honor and rebuilding. I found myself with my mouth hanging wide-open and tears in my eyes because the … Continue reading →... - Getting Past Guns, God And Gays Legislation4 February 2012, 5:17 pm
Well, as expected, our general assembly has gone into session and it’s back to Guns, Gods and Gays. The key is that there are some pretty decent bills out there but they are being drowned out in the infernal noise … Continue reading →... - John ‘Glad’ Castellaw In The 8th?1 February 2012, 3:05 pm
As races gear up around the state and being that I am a District 8 native, I am curious on how this race will play out. Joe Lance has a round up at Tennessee Ticketon recent media coverage and there … Continue reading →... - Knoxville Business Denies Senator Service30 January 2012, 1:23 pm
Last night information went viral very quickly about a restaurant in Knoxville that asked Sen. Stacey Campfield to leave their establishment. Owner Martha Boggs who owns the Bistro at the Bijou asked the controversial politician to leave to make the … Continue reading →...
- A Note On The First Amendment18 August 2010, 5:06 am
(Yes, yes, I realize that I haven't written anything in over two weeks. I promise that I will get back into a regular schedule of posting once I get myself back on a regular schedule. There will also likely be some content changes around here come the fall, stay tuned for that.)This seems like an obvious point to me, but I guess it's not to Dr." Laura and her defenders:Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced Tuesday night that she would end her radio show following her N-word rant last week."My contr... - Shame On The Anti-Defamation League30 July 2010, 8:36 pm
The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to "fight anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defend democratic ideals and protect civil rights for all.” Unless, apparently, if its the democratic and civil rights of people they don't like:We regard freedom of religion as a cornerstone of the American democracy, and that freedom must include the right of all Americans – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths – to build community centers and houses of worship.We categorically reject... - The Tennessee Goobernatorial Race29 July 2010, 4:22 pm
(Note: I'm starting a movement to make #goobernatorial the official hashtag of the Tennessee governor's race. Please consider using it whenever you tweet about the campaign, REGARDLESS of which candidate you're talking about)Tennessee tends to not make national headlines unless something bad has happened, and I guess it was only a matter of time before the Colbert Report picked up on our goobernatorial race, a campaign tailor-made for late-night comedy shows:The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30p... - The Question Of Legitimacy, Deferred23 July 2010, 10:02 pm
Last week, I wrote about the proposed Israeli conversion bill that amounted to delegitimizing Reform and Conservative Judaism. Last night, it was announced that Prime Minister Netanyahu struck a deal to delay the bill for six months until an alternative plan can be worked out.Acting on instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser reached an agreement with Israel Reform and Masorti (traditional) Jewish movements, persuading them to drop a petition to the High... - A Question Of Legitimacy16 July 2010, 12:21 am
Several months ago, Peter Beinart wrote a profound article in the New York Review of Books on the failures of the American Jewish establishment. The main "failure" he recognized is the failure to recognize how many rifts there are among Jews right now--between Israelis and the Diaspora, between secular Jews and the Orthodox, and between younger liberal American Jews and the more conservative establishment.The article set off a furious debate and discussion here in the U.S., although anyone who ...
- I've Moved20 May 2011, 1:59 am
Visit me at my new home at WordPress .... southernbeale.wordpress.com.Thanks!... - I Already Hate WordPress19 May 2011, 7:03 pm
Blogger got buggered again yesterday and I'm so over it. Had to do a bunch of crap to my cookies to be able to access my dashboard. So I've started setting up a new home at WordPress but I can tell you all, I already hate it. Despise it. It's completely illogical, totally not Mac friendly. This was created by people who use PCs, I can already tell with their instructions to "right click" this and that. I hate it. I can't get my freaking blogroll set up, and frankly at this point it may never hap... - Americans Live Within Their Means & Other Wingnut Fantasies18 May 2011, 4:13 pm
Of all the tired, old bromides which have worked their way into our discourse, the old “American families have to live within a budget, and so should the federal government” meme is one of the most annoying. It's annoying because it's so easily debunked; the very people spouting this bullshit are the ones riding mountains of credit card debt, for crying out loud!I’ve written about this before but my first response is always: No! No we don’t! Since when? American consumer debt, which does... - How Dare Those Uppity Plebes Forget Their Place18 May 2011, 12:13 pm
When I first read Felix Salmon’s “Ben Stein's Top 10 Lines About DSK” I thought these were humorous “summaries” of Steins’ column defending Dominique Strauss-Kahn.They were not. They were direct quotes. And oh my God. Without further ado:Was Riker's Island really the place to put him on the allegations of one human being? Hadn't he earned slightly better treatment than that? No, he has not. Justice wears a blindfold.If he is such a womanizer and violent guy with women, why didn't he ... - I’ll Take Things It Shouldn’t Take 30 Years To Do, Alex17 May 2011, 4:18 pm
Waaaaay back in 1990 a law was passed that required the Dept. of Defense to get its books in order so we can do a full financial audit, and yet even though their deadline isn’t until 2017 it seems they won’t be making that deadline. That would be 27 years to do a financial audit of the Pentagon.And they can’t do it.Whew. Okie dokie, well thank goodness we have a bipartisan group of Senators who have a little problem with that :“Based on the findings of today’s FIAR Plan, it appears unl...
- Bridges v. Walls – Annexation Edition5 February 2012, 10:12 pm
This week’s big story locally has been the fight between the State legislature and the City of Memphis over the Gray’s creek annexation area. The two biggest issues revolve around A) a city’s right to annex area to expand its borders, and B) the desires of the residents of that area to remain autonomous. There’s [...]... - Why Would Anyone Want to Teach in Tennessee?2 February 2012, 7:27 pm
Track HB 740 here This is a question I keep asking myself as bill after bill slides right through the state legislature. Last year it was the right to have a seat at the table when negotiating salary, class sizes, and all sorts of other things. This year its tenure and perhaps most egregious, payment [...]... - $15,000,000 For Fewer Than 900 People a Year1 February 2012, 2:23 am
For as long as I can remember, Republicans have been kicking and screaming about the “DEATH TAX”, also known as the inheritance or estate tax. The estate tax is one of those taxes you hear about a lot, but probably won’t ever have to pay, unless your family is fabulously wealthy. Even then, there are [...]... - Restoring Faith29 January 2012, 10:36 pm
No one said it would be quick, easy, cheap, or without some bad press, but that doesn’t mean all the news is bad. What am I talking about? The growing number of investigations concerning divisions of the City of Memphis government. Over the two years since Mayor AC Wharton assumed the Mayor’s office we’ve seen [...]... - Compromise and Discourse in Redistricting18 January 2012, 1:06 pm
If you’ve been watching the news or reading the newspaper, you’ve probably seen a story or 12 about redistricting. Federal, State and Local levels of government are in the process of doing that very thing here in Tennessee. The photo to the left is House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh and Caucus Chair Mike Turner. Both [...]...
- Mad Libs18 June 2010, 2:15 pm
Dear TNDP, I’m not alone in saying it, but this is a problem. (That’s seven months, and many “Chip Forrester is Outraged on a Friday” pressers ago.) We know you know better. How about acting on it? Is…... - He’s So Excited! He’s So Scared!28 May 2010, 4:43 pm
I didn’t watch the Tea Party-hosted Republican gubernatorial debate, not only because I had other plans but because I figure such a thing would be as substantive as a pageant. While nobody emerged wearing a sash and tiara, ... - Just the Facts, Ma’am25 May 2010, 6:20 am
Last night the state House voted to commend Arizona on its upcoming centennial (in 2012) as well as for passing controversial legislation which many argue encourages racial profiling. Here’s the breakdown of how your state Democrats voted. …... - Liberal Blogger Afternoon on the Hill12 May 2010, 4:55 am
Everyone’s favorite Aunt B. did a great job summing up the Liberal Blogger Afternoon on the Hill at Tiny Cat Pants and at Pith. She fails to mention, however, the great restraint both she and I exercised in…... - Sandbagging the MetroCenter Levee4 May 2010, 5:30 am
Approximately 200 Nashvillians sandbagged the levee at MetroCenter today – despite MNPD officers explicitly saying we were entering the neighborhood “at our own risk,” and that if the levee went out we’d likely go out with it – with some…...
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