The World Around You

I agree with Dean on the piece in Slate on Saturday. I just got around to reading it today, but it is an excellent example of what’s wrong with most journalism today. Kerry has been asked these questions with no one bothering to investigate the facts behind the charges.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

That’s right ladies and genetleman! Tune in to watch the Scrushys pander and lie for a half hour every week on Birmingham Television. And you’ll never guess who their first guest will be. It’s Roy Moore. Now if that is not a pair that deserves each other, I don’t know what is, Richard Scrushy and Roy Moore. IN fact, they would be the perfect co-chairs for the President’s re-election campaign don’t you think?

There is a big story here, and I have every faith in the Birmingham press to figure it out. Watch for more here.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

The Biscuits announced on Friday that grass will be laid at Riverwalk Stadium on Monday beginning at 8am. The stadium will finally begin to look like a baseball facility.

The season is fast approaching, the excitement is continuing to build. I am ready to get this thing underway and the progress at the stadium is just a reminder of how close we are to that day.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

The whole familiar strains of bitterness have returned to Goat Hill in Montgomery.

Paul Hubbert, leader of the Alabama’s dominant teachers union and one of the state’s most powerful lobbyists, wrote a letter to Re publican lawmakers this week casting state GOP Chairman Marty Connors as an aspiring “dictator.”

Connors responded with a letter of his own to legislators, defending his opposition to the Alabama Education Association. And in a subsequent interview with the Mobile Register, he said Hubbert is engaged in a “classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.”

“If anyone is a dictator in Ala bama, it’s Paul Hubbert,” Connors said, adding that he told lawmakers as much in his letter. “We’re trying to give the legislators a little liberation.”

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Book your vacations to beautiful Tripoli, Libya today. Now that the ban has been lifted you can experience all the excitement and allure of this magical city!

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Former Attorney General Bill Pryor is now an Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Justice, despite the inability of the US Senate to hold an up or down vote on his nomination. Mr. Pryor has been an admirable public servant and chief law enforcement officer for Alabama. The dedication he has shown in enforcing the laws, without particular regard for his personal beliefs, tells me he will make a fine appeals court judge.

He will be able to draw on many of the skills he has honed over the past seven years in his new post. The court on which he now sits is not the ultimate judicial authority and therefore largely makes its decisions based on established law and precedent. These duties mesh well with those of a state attorney general. He is used to analyzing precedent and applying it to the situation at hand. Few jobs could better prepare a person for this role.

I look forward to seeing Justice Pryor represent Alabama well, at least until the end of next year. You see, Justice Pryor was appointed by President Bush using a recess appointment. This is an emergency provision, to be used by the President to fill necessary positions when Congress is not in session. The appointment will become permanent only if the US Senate approves it before the end of next year. That will allow Pryor plenty of time to demonstrate his competence and judicial temperament, which may allow some cracks in the wall of opposition to his nomination.

Pryor has been among a group of appointees being heavily scrutinized by Democrats in the Senate. Their criticism has centered on the right wing ideology of some of the President’s nominees. Bill Pryor’s ideology is certainly on the conservative side of the spectrum, but what kind of jurist he will prove to be is yet to be determined. A recess appointment is the perfect solution. Give the man a chance to prove what kind of a judge he will be, and then determine if he should remain. The President utilized the powers granted to him and Mr. Pryor’s appointment is not permanent. No one lost here.

What serves as a great solution for the President makes for one more difficult decision for Alabama’s Governor. Governor Riley must appoint someone to serve almost three full years as Attorney General of Alabama. As I write, potential candidates are lining up. I’m sure the Governor will have a short list soon and make a thoughtful selection. Being the head of the state’s law firm, as Pryor put it, is never an easy job. You may have to take positions that the voters do not support, though they are correct in the legal sense. You may even have to prosecute an elected official or two. There are ongoing investigations to supervise and even that little case involving Roy Moore to argue. This is not a job for a figurehead. The legal talent pool in Alabama is deep and wide. What’s clear is that whoever is selected will have some big shoes to fill.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

I am anxiously awaiting this weekend, just to see how the furor over Mel Gibson’s latest film plays out. The media outlets in Alabama are reporting near total sellouts for the entire weekend. Also, the Wednesday edition of the New York Times has a rather negative review of the piece. The highlight being the final paragraph,

On its own, apart from whatever beliefs a viewer might bring to it, “The Passion of the Christ” never provides a clear sense of what all of this bloodshed was for, an inconclusiveness that is Mr. Gibson’s most serious artistic failure. The Gospels, at least in some interpretations, suggest that the story ends in forgiveness. But such an ending seems beyond Mr. Gibson’s imaginative capacities.

I will base whether or night I see the film largely on critical response and word of mouth, just as I would every other film. I find it almost bizarre how those who wouldn’t have been caught dead watching an R-rated movie last week, will flock to theaters this week. Evidently, to these people gory violence is okay, as long as its based on the Bible. I’ll make a note of it.

ADDITIONAL REVIEWS:
** John Hartl at MSNBC didn’t like it either.
**David Edelstein says, “Gibson’s Jesus reminded me of the Terminator—he could be the Christianator—heading out into the world to spread the bloody news.”
**Hear me well, so called “Christian” parents, this sentence by Ty Burr reflects the sentiment of all of the reviews above, “[A]ny parent — no matter how devout and well-intentioned — who takes a child to this movie is guilty of abuse. Period.”
**Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chroniclesays, “The Passion of the Christ'’ is a two-hour-long murder scene.” He acknowledges that this could be good or bad, depending on your point of view.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Millbrook took the next step in preparing to set-up their own school system last night by reading a resolution authorizing the formation of a new system. They now have the ability to call that resolution back up at any time for a vote. It will be a sad day when Alabmaa adds yet another school system. We have much more pressing problems then the complaints of Millbrook’s citizens. Local control is one of the most overused mantras in government, and America’s obsession with local control of schools has helped put American education in the situation it is today.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

I was just watching the American Experience episode on PBS about Dr. King from 1963-1968 and it encouraged some thoughts similar to those expressed by Javier.

Even in the middle of a paragraph that could be used by many on the other side of the argument, Dr. King offers these words, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” What’s going on in San Francisco and across the country is just the natural course of events, things will settle out in the end.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Well, members of the blogosphere seem to be casualities of the jobless recovery. Our good friend James is now looking for work. Help him out if you can.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

I am no fan of the National Education Association, but Secretary Rod Paige went way over the line with his reported remarks today. It is unfortunate that a group that represents so many of our nations dedicated teachers would be classified in such a way by the man who is supposed to set the tone for education in this country.

UPDATE: Atrios agrees.

Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Kevin Drum points out that legislation based on Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution is nothing to get too excited about. Considering the level of attention these pieces of legislation receive in my neck of the woods, it’s comforting to know this.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

A study out of Australia reinforces the obvious, non-smoking areas don’t provide any real protection from secondhand-smoke. Big surprise, now what are we going to do about it?

Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Roy Moore will have his final appeal for his job heard by a stand-in Alabama Supreme Court on Wednesday and the AP acknowledges the approaching event with an article on a recent march of support. Even some of Moore’s former supporters seem to be abandoning him now that the media glare is gone. The book is closing, it can’t close fast enough for my tastes.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

I received an e-mail today from Rock the Vote regarding a town meeting they are holding tonight at Prairie View A&M in Texas. It seems the local district attorney was threatening to prosecute students who voted in the election because they were falsely claiming “permanent” residence. I’m not sure what brought about this lunacy, but I’m fairly certain this man will be run out of town in a relatively short period of time. I don’t know which Cracker Jack box he got his law degree out of, but normally the residency requirement for voting is not an extended period of time, so college students would certainly qualify.

Thank you to Rock the Vote for supporting these students and congratulations to them on their efforts to right a wrong.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Marty also has an article on an issue that has been festering ever since Millbrook announced it is looking at forming its own system. There is no easy solution here, and these students would not be the first to have to go a ridiculously long way to school, just because of which side of a line they fall on.

The issue raised by the Mayor of Prattville is the more important one. How do we ensure growth east of I-65 when this situation is in place? It’s not going to be an easy query to resolve.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Marty Roney writes in this morning’s Montgomery Advertiser about the quiet way Prattville city elections have snuck up on us. No one has declared their desire to oppose any of the incumbent city officials. Now, I believe our current council and mayor have done a very effective job of leadership, but I also believe in giving people a choice. If you’ve ever considered running for office, this may be the year to put your name on the ballot. Qualifying will be the first two weeks of July, so start thinking about it now.

Most Autauga County offices are also up for election this year. All five county commission seats, the entire school board and the superintendent are all up for a vote. It’s time to think about public service.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Well, Alabama Governor Bob Riley has to add “Appoint a new Attorney General” to his to do list. President Bush will announce soon that he has appointed Alabama AG Bill Pryor to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. I’m sorry to see General Pryor go, he has been a wonderful AG, though I don’t always agree with his ideology, he has been a professional law enforcement officer. It will be extremely interesting to see who replaces him, I know several of the deputies and there are many good candidates.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

All the discussion about President Bush’s National Guard service this week got me thinking about the relevance of the Vietnam War in the current political landscape. Is rehashing the events of thirty years ago really a useful exercise for us today? Does it matter whether or not the President showed up for a portion of his service time in the National Guard?

We’ve been down this road before with former President Bill Clinton facing accusations of draft dodging. Democratic presidential frontrunner, Senator John Kerry, stood on the floor of the Senate at that time and asked the country not to use the trials of the Vietnam era to persecute its citizens today. Many people agreed then and even more agree today. What’s past is past; shouldn’t we be focused on the future? The answer is most certainly yes.

Of course, past actions help to create a person’s make-up. We should know what our leaders were doing at critical points in the country’s history, especially when their fellow countrymen were fighting and dying in a foreign land. At the same time, how long can we continue to punish, or reward, someone for a decision he made as a teenager?

Do we really want to spend our time asking and answering questions from three decades ago, or do we want to talk about our present and future? The more pertinent questions for President Bush and Senator Kerry are not about the Mekong Delta and Saigon, but about Falluja and Baghdad. American soldiers are fighting and dying today.

There are a wealth of questions still to be answered about the future of our foreign policy. Is preemption the only option in our War on Terror? Is it more important to lead assertively and decisively or work collaboratively with other nations? These are the questions that should be asked.

It is true that if we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it, but we also must not spend too much time overanalyzing the minutiae. We are not going to choose who will lead this country for the next four years based on what he did thirty years ago. All the time and energy being wasted on this controversy could be much better spent examining the policy differences between the current President and the Democratic nominee. Sure, it’s not as titillating and whether or not the President may have shirked his responsibilities, but it is much more relevant.

When this episode dies down, we’ll be left with little of value and a great deal of wasted time. The real debate must soon begin between Bush and Kerry about how we extricate ourselves from Iraq with a minimum of bloodshed and giving the people their greatest opportunity to create a productive and peaceful society. Isn’t the fate of millions just a little more important than the location of one 1st lieutenant in the National Guard in 1973? Even in our warped national political coverage, I would hope it is.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

There are serious problems at home, when an 8 year old can take a joint to school. They say the Department of Human Resources is involved, and I’m glad to hear it. This family needs help, now, and I hope they get it.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Someone really needs to tell these people to take a walk into the State Judicial Building rotunda. The Ten Commandments are there, in a proper forum. So marching “in support of the display of the Ten Commandments” is a moot point.

Then again, maybe they just needed the exercise.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

We’ll see if lawmakers can work together on the issues that are facing our state. They seem to be rejecting key elements of the Governor’s plan, so they will have to come together and develop their own. A meeting will be held today of a bi-partisan commission to look at options.

It certainly seems to me that we will have a few hundred million in new taxes placed on selected sectors. It will fill the hole, just like we have always done, and it will complicate our tax code even further. Yeah!

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

This is the slippery slope in action folks. Books-A-Million agreed to remove a display of books on sexuality that was close to a display of children’s books. Now they’re back on the shelves. Where they have been for years, mind you and the woman who lodged the complaint is still not satisfied.

I have a very simple message for Tena George that I will say slowly so she can comprehend. IF YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR CHILD EXPOSED TO THIS MATERIAL, THEN DO NOT TAKE HIM TO THIS BOOK STORE. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! Or, here’s a novel idea, watch what your child is doing when he is in the book store!

It sounds like the store may be violating the law, but if they had any guts they would fight the ordinance. We shall see how this will ultimately be resolved.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

I’ve been exteremely busy with work the last two days. I should be back full force tomorrow. Thanks for your patronage.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Dean is done (finally!). Edwards is still going to make a race of it, at least through Super Tuesday and Kerry will have to talk about more than just George W. Bush for the next few weeks.

MSNBC has exit polls results here.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Well, this just takes the cake. Researchers in Hawaii have found that President Bush and Senator Kerry are 16th cousins, three times removed. Now, they acknowledge that you could find probably find such ties between the President and any one of the other candidates, but that’s the point. If you go back far enough, we’re all related.

Now, isn’t that a wonderful message in an election year?

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Mac McArthur is seizing opportunity once again. In a report over the weekend, he stated he didn’t realize until a reporter brought it to his attention how much money the state was spending on professional service contracts. Well, not two days later, he has an accountability plan for these contracts.

What’s his brilliant idea? Well, we should cancel all the contracts immediately and do a review of each individual contract to determine whether it’s necessary! Hey genius, that’s been done once already, when the contract was entered into! And how will we ensure accountability? Well, the department head will have to certify in writing that the contract is necessary. Guess what? All professional service contracts already go through the Legislative Oversight Committee, by law, and they are reviewed not only by the department head, but by the legislature.

I also love his assumption that a state employee would automatically be less expensive than a contract employee. The state doesn’t have to pay health benefits, leave or retirement for a contract employee. It also is a lot easier to get rid of a contract worker if they are not fulfilling their end of the deal.

I know that McArthur is just doing his job as head of the State Employees’s union, but I also hope that most people can see through the smoke on this issue. Oh by the way, one entire department is employed by contract at the moment, by court order!

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Tom Parker is back, looking for the Republican nomination for the Alabama Supreme Court. He currently holds the position of special projects coordinator for Moore’s Foundation for Moral Law. It seems a little strange that with several open seats on the court he is choosing to run against an incumbent.

You don’t think Roy might have had some input on that decision do you?

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

The Montgomery Biscuits are holding a job fair this Saturday. The organization will be adding 250 part-time and game day employees. If you are interested, head to the Montgomery Civic Center this Saturday, February 21st between 8am and 3pm.

You can view a list of the available jobs and pay here.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Kevin Drum points to the apparent closing of the book on the Kerry affair. I admit to overstepping on this one. I have learned my lesson.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Well, here we go again. The first step that Prattville crafted is now looking pretty good to the city council in Montgomery. Prattville is certainly a healthier place to eat than Montgomery at the moment and Willie Cook has an ordinance on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting that will level the playing field. It is a good compromise and I hope the Montgomery City Council is smart enough to take input from all interested parties before moving forward to improve the health of its citizens.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Sometime today The World Around You will have it’s 10,000th visitor. Thank you all for your support and for checking in from time to time over the last eight months. I hope to be here for many more thousands of visitors.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.