Friday, June 29, 2007
Court 5-4, Where Are You?
Posted by Bruce Barry on Fri, Jun 29, 2007 at 1:00 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court ended its term on a suitably contentious note Thursday, a 5-4 decision to invalidate race-based school assignment programs in Seattle and Louisville. Conservatives are predictably pleased, and liberals predictably perturbed.
I suppose I'm more perturbed than pleased, but it does strike me that the Court may have reached the right outcome in the particular cases involved, albeit for the wrong reasons and with unfortunate consequences. The ruling has little immediate or direct effect on Nashville's public schools, where explicit racial criteria for school assignment are not presently in play, but it could figure into future reform efforts.
I suppose I'm more perturbed than pleased, but it does strike me that the Court may have reached the right outcome in the particular cases involved, albeit for the wrong reasons and with unfortunate consequences. The ruling has little immediate or direct effect on Nashville's public schools, where explicit racial criteria for school assignment are not presently in play, but it could figure into future reform efforts.
Chicken Run
Posted by Carrington Fox on Fri, Jun 29, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Not since Bob Clement launched the Idea Factory has a campaign made us giggle as much as David Briley's bid to be our city's Wing Man.
"I am not afraid to proclaim here and now that I want to be the Hot Chicken Mayor," Briley crowed in his written application to compete in the inaugural Music City Hot Chicken contest. Having earned a spot in the July 4th hot chicken fry-off, mayoral hopeful Briley will face off against five hot chicken teams, including one squad whose application simply lists "Superman, Batman and Aquaman—we're always on duty."
While the Briley camp has not yet released polling data, some chicken pundits speculate that Briley and the superheroes could split the progressive poultry vote and are squawking for either the Metro councilman or the Super Friends to get out and throw their weight behind the other team.
"I am not afraid to proclaim here and now that I want to be the Hot Chicken Mayor," Briley crowed in his written application to compete in the inaugural Music City Hot Chicken contest. Having earned a spot in the July 4th hot chicken fry-off, mayoral hopeful Briley will face off against five hot chicken teams, including one squad whose application simply lists "Superman, Batman and Aquaman—we're always on duty."
While the Briley camp has not yet released polling data, some chicken pundits speculate that Briley and the superheroes could split the progressive poultry vote and are squawking for either the Metro councilman or the Super Friends to get out and throw their weight behind the other team.
...And Paul Sorvino as Kenneth Eaton!
Posted by Jim Ridley on Fri, Jun 29, 2007 at 11:03 AM
This arrived in the email box from a local wag who's obviously spent too much time watching Channel 3. Tell us if anyone got left out.
NASHVILLE MAYOR'S RACE 2007—The Movie
Starring...
George C. Scott as Buck Dozier
Bill Paxton as Karl Dean
Danny Glover as Howard Gentry
Jim Bakker as Bob Clement
Bob Balaban as David Briley
NASHVILLE MAYOR'S RACE 2007—The Movie
Starring...
George C. Scott as Buck Dozier
Bill Paxton as Karl Dean
Danny Glover as Howard Gentry
Jim Bakker as Bob Clement
Bob Balaban as David Briley
Weapons of Mass Seduction
Posted by Elizabeth Ulrich on Fri, Jun 29, 2007 at 10:53 AM
A small handful of blindfolded protesters hit the Hustler Hollywood store on Church Street yesterday afternoon in a move to purge pornography from their hearts—and yours. If the blue blindfolds were any indication, they were disciples of the Pure Life Revolution, which, according to its website, was founded in 2004 as "a prayer and repentance movement combined with holy activism and gut level honesty."
Why Hustler? One can only guess that these self-proclaimed warriors of purity have identified this mecca of all things erotica—multi-colored vibrators, pink fur-lined handcuffs and sex kitten products galore—as one of the "rulers of darkness" and "purveyors of wickedness" that the organization warns of in the "Know the Enemy" section of its site. They fear that we're all falling prey to "the spirit of prostitution," whose seductive grasp has got us all hot and bothered, er, desensitized.
Their plan of attack is simple: "Revolutionaries use weapons of prayer, fasting and a simple blindfold to combat the forces of the enemy. Groups of three to three-hundred have taken their Stand in public places crying out to God and confounding the wise with the simplicity of this strategy."
Fewer than 10 revolutionaries stood for purity yesterday. Then the rain came, and they were gone.
Meatballs
Posted by Steve Haruch on Fri, Jun 29, 2007 at 10:27 AM
With all this talk and speculation about where the Predators may or may not move (there's a "Save the Predators" benefit on July 10 at The Rutledge, btw), let us not lose sight of the fact that our very own Nashville Sounds are back in first place, their parent club, the Milwaukee Brewers, are also in first place, and that, in a momentous week for the game of baseball—Frank Thomas hit his 500th home run and Craig Biggio got his 3,000th hit, making them just the 21st and 27th members, respectively, of those elite groups—Nashville pitcher Manny Parra threw just the third nine-inning perfect game in the 104-year history of the Pacific Coast League.
What's more, the Sounds are running quite possibly the oddest promotion I've ever heard of: "Sunday is...the beginning of July Beef Month. Sounds fans who purchase $10 or more worth of beef from any local grocer have the opportunity to bring their receipt to the Sounds box office and receive two complimentary general admission tickets to any Sunday through Thursday home game during the month (excluding July 3)."
What's more, the Sounds are running quite possibly the oddest promotion I've ever heard of: "Sunday is...the beginning of July Beef Month. Sounds fans who purchase $10 or more worth of beef from any local grocer have the opportunity to bring their receipt to the Sounds box office and receive two complimentary general admission tickets to any Sunday through Thursday home game during the month (excluding July 3)."
Transpeople Who Need People
Posted by PJ Tobia on Fri, Jun 29, 2007 at 9:22 AM
A few hours after this week's Scene hit newsstands, I received a letter from the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (posted in its entirety after the jump) regarding our cover story. The story is about El Dos de Oros, a South Nashville bar that caters to immigrant laborers and attracts women and transvestites who are paid for their companionship. The letter takes us to task for the use of the term "transvestite," saying that the word "is a perjorative [sic] term and is considered insulting."
They preferred that we use the term "cross dresser." At least one gender studies expert says that either term could apply to men who dress as women (or vice versa) and that the label "transvestite" is not an insult, per se.
The second part of the letter finds fault with the use of the pronouns "he" and "him" when we refer to Gracia and Ashley. "The Transwomen described in the article should have been referred to as "She" in every single instance," says the TTPC, even though the "transpersons" in question referred to each other with male pronouns and often used the masculine forms of Spanish words when talking about themselves and their friends.
It seems that this is an unsettled matter even among those who are experts in the field. We'd like to open the floor to you folks, and if there are any cross dresser/transvestite/transpeople out there, we'd especially like to hear your opinions.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Dean launches salvo
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 at 4:26 PM
It took him long enough, but Karl Dean finally figured out that he could make political hay out of this week's Metro Council budget escapades. In a news release this afternoon, Dean criticizes the council—which includes three of his rivals in the mayoral campaign—for effectively cutting $4.4 million from public schools and more than $200,000 from the police department in next year's budget.
"There will always be hard budgetary decisions to be made," Dean says. "Faced with those tough decisions, I have made my priorities clear. I am committed to funding public schools and public safety above all else."
Dean points out that Metro got an additional $6 million from the state for school funding this year, but the council voted to cut almost that much from the school budget.
"Adequate funding is a large part of making the improvements we need in our middle and high schools. Lobbying the state for more funds next year is going to be that much more difficult because we have shown that we're not willing to put that money where it's needed and where we said it would go," Dean said.
Of course, that's easy for Dean to say. He's not on the council and didn't have to make any of those "hard budgetary decisions." In his news release, he didn't say what he would have voted to cut instead.
"Our police and firefighters deserve their step pay increases, and I am pleased those raises were included in the budget. However, I would have found another way to pay for them other than taking funds from our schools."
"There will always be hard budgetary decisions to be made," Dean says. "Faced with those tough decisions, I have made my priorities clear. I am committed to funding public schools and public safety above all else."
Dean points out that Metro got an additional $6 million from the state for school funding this year, but the council voted to cut almost that much from the school budget.
"Adequate funding is a large part of making the improvements we need in our middle and high schools. Lobbying the state for more funds next year is going to be that much more difficult because we have shown that we're not willing to put that money where it's needed and where we said it would go," Dean said.
Of course, that's easy for Dean to say. He's not on the council and didn't have to make any of those "hard budgetary decisions." In his news release, he didn't say what he would have voted to cut instead.
"Our police and firefighters deserve their step pay increases, and I am pleased those raises were included in the budget. However, I would have found another way to pay for them other than taking funds from our schools."
A political genius is born
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 at 4:07 PM
Ken Jakes has never run for public office before but he's obviously a natural. In a stroke of political genius, the Metro council candidate loaded up his truck with watermelons, parked it on the side of the highway and stuck up signs reading "Free Watermelons" and "Meet the candidate Ken Jakes."
"I was knocking door to door and wasn't having much luck. About 10 a night is all I could get door-knocking. So I just decided to bring the people to me with free watermelons. I had them swarming at me from every direction," says Jakes, a lifelong Joelton resident who is running along with four others in District 1 to succeed the term-limited Brenda Gilmore.
Jakes is running as a champion of the little people. "I want to see honesty and integrity back in our council," he says. "They're making allowances for fat-cat developers that they don't allow for everyone else in Davidson County. And you can quote me on the record on that."
Conveniently, Jakes owns Jakes' Produce Co. on Whites Creek Pike. That's where he got the watermelons. "We gave away about 600 watermelons," he says. "It definitely got me some name recognition." Here's hoping for free cantaloupes next.
"I was knocking door to door and wasn't having much luck. About 10 a night is all I could get door-knocking. So I just decided to bring the people to me with free watermelons. I had them swarming at me from every direction," says Jakes, a lifelong Joelton resident who is running along with four others in District 1 to succeed the term-limited Brenda Gilmore.
Jakes is running as a champion of the little people. "I want to see honesty and integrity back in our council," he says. "They're making allowances for fat-cat developers that they don't allow for everyone else in Davidson County. And you can quote me on the record on that."
Conveniently, Jakes owns Jakes' Produce Co. on Whites Creek Pike. That's where he got the watermelons. "We gave away about 600 watermelons," he says. "It definitely got me some name recognition." Here's hoping for free cantaloupes next.
A Little Tragedy
Posted by Wayne Christeson on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 at 3:52 PM
A recent opinion from the Tennessee Supreme Court tells the sad tale of a woman who rose from drug addiction and prison to become a licensed clinical social worker and then, through an excess of love and human emotion, lost it all.
Link does not work. Sorry.
Link does not work. Sorry.
Mayoral debate is ratings hit
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Jun 28, 2007 at 1:25 PM
Who says nobody cares about the race for mayor? The Nielsen ratings are in, and this week's debate on Channel 4 was No. 2 in the time slot, drawing more viewers than any program on ABC or Fox that whole night. An estimated 79,000 households tuned in.
"They say people are not interested in politics on TV. WSMV has proved that wrong. If you provide good information and make it interesting, people will watch," Channel 4 said in a news release.
Imagine how many people would have watched if the candidates ever had anything interesting to say.
"They say people are not interested in politics on TV. WSMV has proved that wrong. If you provide good information and make it interesting, people will watch," Channel 4 said in a news release.
Imagine how many people would have watched if the candidates ever had anything interesting to say.
