Blog

Sharon Cobb calls for Bredesen to step down.

I started researching the TennCare issue for a documentary I wanted to shoot at the start of 05. However, I met with some resistance from some of the TennCare advocates. Two of them were afraid of upsetting the governor. They were afraid “I was too much like Michael Moore.” While I considered the Moore comparison a compliment, I was deeply troubled that a few of these advocates were afraid to upset the governor. A couple of them clearly had a conflict of interest.

Evidence:

• This document contains proof that the Governor wanted to prevent alternative proposals, and reenroll–"front loading" in 06
• Build back enrollment in Year 2
• "Front-Load bad news allow add backs later"
• From: Goetz to Hickey… "To Hell with the Tennessee Justice Center" email

Update:

• More Actual Proof That Bredesen Did Not Negotiate In Good Faith
• One More Document That Proves Bredesen Did Not Negotiate In Good Faith

Student: I’m a new dad!
Master: After the first child, "new" is an unnecessary qualifier.

Ever had a real honest to goodness panic attack? They come in different flavors.

Yesterday I had a really good one. 20 different distinct thoughts floating through my head. It was like being in the center of a tornado and seeing chaos swirling around you. Thousands of thoughts you can’t focus on but roughly 20 you can track and occasionally you could focus on one of the 20 but could not reach it and could only hold the focus briefly before it zipped off spinning with the rest of the clutter.

The madness drives you to the bed where you pull the covers over your head and try to focus on a single thought. Calm is found in sleep but wakefulness unleashes the dragons. You come to with a start realizing that you’ve wasted potential productive time in hiding. The adreline rushes and the tornado swirls. A cyclic nightmare.

I can’t believe we would take a person to impeachment over a blow job but Hitleresq type behavior well documented just doesn’t seem to fire people up.

The government(through a bill introduced in July 2004 by Georgia Representative Max Burns) is now trying to get Interstate 3 in place. This would destroy much beautiful natural area in the Southeast. The Smoky Mountians are dying due to auto polution and Interstate 3 would potentially run through Deal’s Gap (yes, killing the favorite spot of motorcyclists). The Interest proposal is named for war (3rd Infantry Division Highway) and based on war (to better connect our military bases – “(1) linking defensive installations across the South, including Fort Gordon, Eisenhower Army Regional Medical Center, the Augusta Veterans Administration Hospitals, Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Airfield, and the Port of Savannah, “which is in the strategic defense interest of the Nation.” “).

I find it funny that we are massively closing military installations yet now we want to develop a new Interstate that will cause severe damage to the ecology that attracts people to the South. Now let’s look at the bigger picture. What we are really doing is creating a straight shot from Oak Ridge TN (source of bunker busters, depleted uranium, and other nuclear weapons) to the ocean.

Conspiracy minded today? Just wait until I have made my deadlines and can sit down to draw up my conclusions that Interstate 3 is related to the depletion of the world oil supplies and that the Alaska drilling will be totally for military support.

I couldn’t stay at the computer. The uproar in the backyard called to my curiosity. Despite their cries, I could not find the Jays; however, as I glanced upward in the dusk sky a solitary bat flew over my head in search of 6000 mosquitoes. I hope he finds the home I’ve left for him and 119 companions on the side of my house.

I can hear a Cardinal chirp over and over. Our little non-flyer is gone. I see no sign of life or death. No adult Jays are around. Perhaps it caught a good breeze. The cat shows none of the signs of self-satisfaction it typically has after a good hunt. Somewhere in this something metaphysical waits to be drafted in iambic pentameter.

"Quit with the flash photography already bud!" 

Our little non-flyer is still alive. Everytime it gets to the ground I bring it back up to its "nest". Some large Blue Jays have taken to protecting it and sqwauking at me loudly whenever I approach the youngling. As much as it has flapped around on the ground I’m amazed the cat hasn’t taken it. When it is on the ground, the larger Jays are more abundant and in closer proximity. It’s really interesting to watch them protect the young one. Observing its flying attempts I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t take to the air if it survives a couple of days. 

I had hoped to end this week’s naked theme with a post on the Knoxville World Naked Bike Ride 2005 and perhaps some pictures but no such luck. Looks like a naked breakfast at IHOP or Cracker Barrel is in my future instead of some fleshy spectator recreation of stripping on the Cumberland Strip. Maybe 2006.

When my bathroom sink drains slowly and I have to put clods of hair clippings out of the drain, my wife is stressed. Apparently trimming bangs is relaxing.

The little squawker has left the nest but is still protected in the wisteria. He cries out loudly periodically. Large Blue Jays have come into the area and seem to be keeping a eye on it.

…that someone absolutely abhors your very presence despite what you do?

Female doctor was in such a hurry to help stricken colleague that she forgot to put on any clothes

Tang rushed out of the bathroom in such a hurry that she forgot to put on clothes. After the security guards broke the door, she found Chen lying unconscious and stopping breathing with the shower head in his hand.

Don’t you find it rather miraculous that the security guards had the presence of mind to move? I would have thought it would have gone more like "Ok lady. Let me get my pen. Could you tell us again what’s going on? No no. Slow down and start from the VERY beginning."

Looks like our riders in Knoxville are going to be naked..and wet.

The kids found a baby Blue Jay in the driveway. What to do?

My first thoughts were that it feel a heck of a way to be on the driveway and must have its internals smashed to bits. Noah stands guard and I go get my gloves. I pick it up and it seems healthy enough walking on my hands, flapping its wings but apparently unable to fly, looking around and even squeaking a bit.

I’m a mature adult. I know you can’t save these things. Besides, Blue Jays are the rodents of the skies. They are the one bird I dislike. Good targets for BB guns (not that I do that). But I can’t help but want to help this bird.

The outdoor cat stalks 30 yards away wondering what prey we’ve caught. This creature doesn’t stand a chance. Shoe box? No way! I know better.

We even try feeding it a worm. No bite. It simply falls asleep in my palm.

The middle 3 kids assist me in a hunt of the yard with a flashlight for a safe place for this bird. There is no such thing. The best place we can find is smack dab in the outdoor cat’s killzone. We concede and prepare the space. It’s a knot hole in the old sycamore (I think) tree nearest our house. I line it with some hay and let the bird crawl into it. The poor thing seems in shock. I give it a few hours before its on the ground. 20 minutes after that the cat will torture it for about 8 minutes and then its dead and left as a "gift" on the porch. Hopefully I see it before the kids.

Update: It lived through the night. Apparently I build a good nest.