Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Life in the Superdome
Posted by Roger Abramson on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 at 10:58 PM
CNN's Aaron Brown said that one thing we haven't known much about is what has been going on in the Superdome. This article is a start. And it's not pretty.
New Ways To Do The Same Stuff, Only Faster
Posted by Claire Suddath on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 at 3:51 PM
I am not good at consolidating. I have both a cell phone and a land line, mostly because my cell phone doesn't work in my apartment (I live in what I'd like to refer to as This Place Sucks But I'm Too Lazy Too Move Because Furniture is Heavy) but I'm also secretly glad that I have a regular telephone. I like regular telephones better than cell phones, so the fact that Cingular has dropped me like a neglected puppy on the side of the road doesn't really matter to me.
God: "Homosexuality made me do it."
Posted by Bruce Barry on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 at 2:39 PM
It was bound to happen, the only question was when. As far as I can tell, Pat Robertson has no fingerprints on this.
Guest Blog on TennCare
Posted by Liz Garrigan on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 at 12:14 PM
Mark Brown, legislative coordinater at the state Department of Human Services, asked Pith if we would post the following about health care option fairs being held across the state. Here, we oblige:
GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES HEALTH CARE OPTIONS FAIRS
LOCAL HEALTH PROVIDERS COME TOGETHER TO SHARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR UNINSURED
Nashville - As part of the ongoing process to strengthen the state's health care safety net, Governor Phil Bredesen today announced his administration is working with legislators, health care providers, and health care advocacy groups to organize a series of "Health Care Options Fairs" across the state.
The fairs are designed to provide information about the local health care options that are available to those who are losing TennCare coverage, those who are subject to TennCare benefit reductions, or to those 700,000 additional uninsured Tennesseans across the state.
GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES HEALTH CARE OPTIONS FAIRS
LOCAL HEALTH PROVIDERS COME TOGETHER TO SHARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR UNINSURED
Nashville - As part of the ongoing process to strengthen the state's health care safety net, Governor Phil Bredesen today announced his administration is working with legislators, health care providers, and health care advocacy groups to organize a series of "Health Care Options Fairs" across the state.
The fairs are designed to provide information about the local health care options that are available to those who are losing TennCare coverage, those who are subject to TennCare benefit reductions, or to those 700,000 additional uninsured Tennesseans across the state.
The Looters
Posted by Roger Abramson on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 at 11:17 AM
I am generally with Jonah Goldberg on this one.
I think it's defensible to get necessities for yourself and your family under these circumstances (it would be even more so if those talking the good pay for them later if possible). What I don't think is defensible is getting televisions and other non-necessities. Also, what the devil are these people going to do with those things? Where are you going to plug them in? That stuff will probably end up being abandoned somewhere anyway.
I think Aunt B. is overwrought. I'll accept that all of the looters are victims of the storm, but will she accept that not all of the victims of the storm are not looters? There are some--right?--that aren't engaging in these activities.
She also seems to disregard the fact that some of these people are not going after necessities (the minority I would assume, but still the case).
UPDATE: Comments on this post are now closed due to jackass infiltration. Sorry. Clink "link" below to see the comments already made.
I think it's defensible to get necessities for yourself and your family under these circumstances (it would be even more so if those talking the good pay for them later if possible). What I don't think is defensible is getting televisions and other non-necessities. Also, what the devil are these people going to do with those things? Where are you going to plug them in? That stuff will probably end up being abandoned somewhere anyway.
I think Aunt B. is overwrought. I'll accept that all of the looters are victims of the storm, but will she accept that not all of the victims of the storm are not looters? There are some--right?--that aren't engaging in these activities.
She also seems to disregard the fact that some of these people are not going after necessities (the minority I would assume, but still the case).
UPDATE: Comments on this post are now closed due to jackass infiltration. Sorry. Clink "link" below to see the comments already made.
Katrina Relief
Posted by Roger Abramson on Wed, Aug 31, 2005 at 8:42 AM
The blogosphere telethon is officially tomorrow, but there's no time like the present. Go here for an extensive and continually updated list of organizations to give money to, from Catholic Charities to UMCOR to the American Red Cross to the Humane Society (the four-legged fellas need some help too).
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Indicted
Posted by Liz Garrigan on Tue, Aug 30, 2005 at 2:46 PM
The Commercial Appeal is reporting that a federal grand jury today "returned an indictment against County Commission Chairman Michael Hooks. Hooks, 54, is serving his third term. Federal prosecutor Tim DiScenza asked the judge to issue a warrant for Hooks's arrest, but asked that he be released on his own recognizance. Prosecutors say Hooks could make a court appearance by this afternoon. The indictment says Hooks received payment to use his influence to obtain county government contracts for E-Cycle Management,the bogus FBI company that solicited bribery charges against five current and former state lawmakers."
Catastrophic
Posted by Roger Abramson on Tue, Aug 30, 2005 at 9:43 AM
I love New Orleans, so I'm kind of bummed, even more so than I would be otherwise.
UPDATE: You know it's bad when the newspaper has to stop reporting the news.
UPDATE II: When you're going on a rescue mission and someone says "We should have someone liveblog it!", I think your newsroom has officially geeked out.
UPDATE III: The video you may have heard about is the first link in this story.
UPDATE IV: The Governor of Louisiana has just ordered an evacuation of the entire city of New Orleans. How the hell are they going to pull that off?
Hard to remember now, but there was a time--oh, about 24 hours ago--when everyone thought that NO had mostly dodged a bullet.
UPDATE: You know it's bad when the newspaper has to stop reporting the news.
UPDATE II: When you're going on a rescue mission and someone says "We should have someone liveblog it!", I think your newsroom has officially geeked out.
UPDATE III: The video you may have heard about is the first link in this story.
UPDATE IV: The Governor of Louisiana has just ordered an evacuation of the entire city of New Orleans. How the hell are they going to pull that off?
Hard to remember now, but there was a time--oh, about 24 hours ago--when everyone thought that NO had mostly dodged a bullet.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
in memoriam
Posted by Jim Ridley on Sun, Aug 28, 2005 at 11:24 AM
The Scene posted a notice in The Spin column, but in case anyone didn't get the message, there will be a memorial service tonight for Nashville musician Max Vague from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Basement. People are urged to bring photos and other memorabilia they'd care to share.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Alive and Well?
Posted by Bruce Barry on Sat, Aug 27, 2005 at 3:40 PM
Dahlia Lithwick wrote a series of pieces at Slate this week on the concept of a "living constitution" -- the conceptual alter ego of the philosophy of judicial review known as "originalism" or "strict construction" (although those two things are not necessarily the same thing). Lithwick's first piece wondered if the idea of a living constitution was dead, and invited readers to weigh in. Her second piece synthesized reader arguments defending a living constitution, and the third piece highlighted the arguments of defenders of originalism.
To me, one very simple argument in favor of a living consitution open to interpretations that acknowledge and exploit the march of history and progress is found in the the plain language of the Fifth Amendment, specifically the military exception contained in the first clause:
Madison and his fellow framers did not foresee the invention of flight, and hence the creation of an air force, so naturally the Fifth Amendment doesn't mention one. Unless I'm missing something, an orthodox originalist reading would say that the military exception to the right to a grand jury presentment therefore applies to the Army, Navy, and Marines, but not to the Air Force. Are there any constitutional originalists out there who would agree that the military exception to the first part of the Fifth Amendment does not apply to the Air Force?
To me, one very simple argument in favor of a living consitution open to interpretations that acknowledge and exploit the march of history and progress is found in the the plain language of the Fifth Amendment, specifically the military exception contained in the first clause:
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger.
Madison and his fellow framers did not foresee the invention of flight, and hence the creation of an air force, so naturally the Fifth Amendment doesn't mention one. Unless I'm missing something, an orthodox originalist reading would say that the military exception to the right to a grand jury presentment therefore applies to the Army, Navy, and Marines, but not to the Air Force. Are there any constitutional originalists out there who would agree that the military exception to the first part of the Fifth Amendment does not apply to the Air Force?
