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April 30, 2006
The Scourge of Mudslinging
It is quite perplexing and outrageous that someone would resort to mudslinging at election time. And that they would remain secretive about it, no less!!!
The citizens of this fair city need to speak up: Creativity and humor have no place in the political process. Mudslinging, neither.
Posted by pulseblogger at 08:12 PM | TrackBack
April 29, 2006
Knoxville Has a New Paper
Click here to read the online version of the Knoxville Voice, now published biweekly.
Posted by colrus at 06:11 PM | TrackBack
Divisive Mail from the North
One of the benefits of having a progressive-leaning father who still lives back up in my home state of Connecticut is that he makes it a point to collect issues of the New Haven Advocate -- the altweekly I grew up reading while hanging out in and around Yale and New Haven during my younger years -- and mail them to me. My dad has sent me other publications, too, over the years (Z Magazine comes to mind) in hopes, I'm guessing, that some of his politics would rub off on me. Though I'm now quite comfortable with my slightly right-of-center, proudly independent perspective, I appreciate the thought nonetheless. The Advocate has always been of interest to me because, well, it contains news about Connecticut and because there is, more often than not, something worthy of discussion within its pages.
Chief atop the dicussion-worthy list in the batch of papers I received today was Advocate Managing Editor Tom Gogola's March 23 piece, "War of the Antiwar". In the piece, Gogola (whom I had the pleasure of meeting at last year's AAN East conference in D.C.) offers the conclusion that the "the question of connectivity between Israel, the Palestinians, and the Iraq War" is at "the heart of what's wrong with the antiwar movement today."
Gogola, a sympathetic antiwar liberal himself, attended two antiwar rallies -- one in New Haven and one in Hartford -- and grew increasingly incensed with much of the cliquey, competitive and counterproductive rhetoric. He saved a big chunk of his ire for the "9/11 Was An Inside Job" crowd who were handing out DVDs arguing their case. Gogola not-so-nicely refused a copy and devoted some column space to the "longhaired bozo" that tried to give him one.
"Your point of view is disrespectful in the extreme to the thousands of people who died on 9/11. Your paranoia mocks those innocents, and the 'inside job' nonsense is exactly why movement activists are so often tarred with the 'wacko' brush in the national media.Can we at least all agree that this is one segment of the antiwar movement that deserves to have a wall built around it? Throw in some rubber padding, too."
Though I don't think the national media is as quick to paint the "wacko" brush as Gogola does (I think they're actually sympathetic to the "wackos" more often than not), in light of my recent thoughts about the remaining effectiveness of the now-cliched marching/chanting/sign-carrying protest model still widely popular across the globe, Gogola's column was a timely read.
Skimming through the stack of Advocates, I also learned that indie darlings Mates of State now reside in East Haven. Weird. I didn't peg them as Camaro-driving Italians. Read David Morton's review of their latest album here.
Posted by colrus at 04:50 PM | TrackBack
April 28, 2006
Cleveland Taser Trifecta
Yet another instance of alleged inappropriate tasing at the Bradley County Jail department came to light today, as former inmate Brian Woodby told WGOW that he was tased in the stomach and the genitals on New Year's Eve. Woodby, whose feet were strapped down during the tasing, described having burn marks on his testicles. The man is undergoing reproductive therapy.
Earlier this week, Jason Adams, another former inmate described being maced in his face, stripped of his clothes, placed in a shower to rinse off, thrown down on the floor and tased twice while on the floor and still wet, and placed on a chair in front of a fan to dry off while wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. He contracted pneumonia as a result.
Both have hired John Wolfe to represent them. Wolfe is also representing the family of Timothy McCargo, the inmate who lapsed into (and remains in) a coma after being tased on February 24.
McCargo's mother, Eunice McCargo-Spears, told WTVC that she is glad both Adams and Woodby are coming forward with their stories as "something needs to be done about all these boys getting tased."
Wolfe told the station that the timing is good because "people need to know what's going on in the sheriff's department."
Bradley County Sheriff Dan Gilley says the timing of the stories is politically motivated, accusing Wolfe of trying to use the three cases to sway the upcoming Bradley County Sheriff's race.
Posted by pulseblogger at 10:09 AM | TrackBack
April 27, 2006
Smith All Paid Up
Duane Smith, much-talked-about sorta lobbyist and longtime friend of Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, has paid his $100, registered with the state and is now an actual lobbyist. According to the TFP, Smith was "patrolling legislative corridors and talking to lawmakers and fellow government lobbyists" on Wednesday.
Posted by pulseblogger at 09:23 AM | TrackBack
Two Former Rec Center Employees Indicted
Read the full story here.
The mayor's office said a Chattanooga Police fraud investigator and the director of Internal Audit for the mayor’s office presented the cases of Michael Lowman and Pamela Davenport to the Hamilton County Grand Jury.
They said the Grand Jury then handed down indictments on Lowman and Ms. Davenport for theft over $10,000.
Posted by pulseblogger at 09:07 AM | TrackBack
April 26, 2006
Fripp Rhythm and Brews Show Now Available for Download
Robert Fripp's February 27 Rhythm and Brews show is now available for download at DGM Live.
Posted by pulseblogger at 02:00 PM | TrackBack
Junior Brown to Play Nightfall
VERY cool.
Junior Brown, the master of the guit-steel, is playing Nightfall on June 23.
Posted by pulseblogger at 01:10 PM | TrackBack
Must-See Video: Courthouse Altercation
The lady in the red (a relative of a defendant in a murder case) is telling the woman who punches her (a relative of the murdered woman) that the murdered woman "had THC in her system" at the time of her death.
Click here to watch.
Here's another, more entertaining version...
Posted by pulseblogger at 12:59 PM | TrackBack
The Delicious Sounds of the Yellow Deli
The Yellow Deli, Chattanooga's favorite revived communal religious sect/sandwich provider, has posted some music on their website. "Health Food Ain't Got No Saving Power" is a highlight. Click here to listen.
Posted by pulseblogger at 09:26 AM | TrackBack
April 24, 2006
The Greatest-Ever Headline on Chattanoogan.com
Click here to be amazed.
Painful, just painful.
Posted by pulseblogger at 01:24 PM | TrackBack
Cynthia McKinney Opens Mouth Inserts Foot, Wireless Microphone
Folks, if you ever wondered what a politician drunk with power looks like, take a gander at this story.
So entertaining...
Posted by pulseblogger at 09:10 AM | TrackBack
April 21, 2006
Times Editorial Page: Littlefield biased against Jews
In an editorial about the Michael Weber incident on the Times side of today's Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield is accused of being being biased towards northerners and Jews.
"Yet it is not a reporter's, or this newspaper's, pursuit of facts that is unprofessional. Rather, it is Mayor Littlefeld's defamtory public statements and his egregious reference to Mr. Weber's work 'in Brooklyn' (Mr. Weber worked once at Newsday in New York) that are wholly unprofessional and contemptible. That slur can be read both as anti-Yankee and anti-Semitic, since attacks on the Jewish community in New York traditionally referred to the acts of people "in Brooklyn.Mayor Littlefield's action managed, in a single stroke, to offend all responsible journalists here, to draw coverage to the anti-democratic attitude and thin skin of Chattanooga's mayor, and to demonstrate his bias against northerners and Jews."
Posted by pulseblogger at 09:52 AM | TrackBack
April 18, 2006
Of Montreal to Play Nightfall
Yes, it's true. They will be playing on Friday, August 25. As always, this will be a free show.
Among others on the roster so far: Dave Alvin, Shemekia Copeland, The Sun Ra Arkestra, Tim O'Brien and Jake Shimabukuro, the Japanese ukele master.
Click here to see the (almost) complete lineup.
Posted by colrus at 12:44 PM | TrackBack
Lobbyist Story Explained
So what "non-story" was TFP reporter Michael Weber "wasting his time" on when he got the boot by the mayor?
From today's Times Free Press:
A longtime friend of Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield hired to lobby the state on behalf of the city has not registered with state officials, according to the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.Registry officials said Monday they had no record of Duane Smith being registered to lobby in Nashville.
Mr. Smith said he was operating under the impression that he would not have had to register until he was in Nashville "making contact with legislators."
The story goes on to outline Mayor Littlefield's ties to Smith:
In 1987, Mr. Smith was campaign manager in Mr. Littlefield’s successful race for commissioner of Public Works under the city’s old form of government, according to news accounts at the time. He later worked for then-Commissioner Littlefield as a special assistant.
A little anticlimactic? Yes. Still a story? Certainly.
Posted by pulseblogger at 10:44 AM | TrackBack
April 14, 2006
Pulse Exclusive: TFP Staffers "Despondent" Paper Isn't Fighting Back Against Mayor's Reporter Ban
Breaking News: Mayor Ron Littlefield has banned a Times Free Press reporter from access to city records and employees. Our source says many in the paper's newsroom are devastated that their organization isn't fighting back.
Read our story here.
Posted by pulseblogger at 11:25 PM | TrackBack
Mayor's TFP Reporter Ban Story Appears on Editor and Publisher
Read the full story here.
"Griscom said the mayor's office had never contacted the paper with any complaints about Weber prior to the ban. 'I am trying to reconstruct a series of events that have occurred over a period of time that led to this,' he added, noting that the mayor's actions appeared to be related, in part, to Weber's requests for public information, but said he did not know what specific requests had been made. 'We are a very aggressive paper in terms of requesting documents. But I have to make sure I know all of the facts.'
In a memo to Times Free Press employees, obtained by E&P, Griscom said he had spoken to the mayor and reminded staffers to maintain a professional demeanor with outsiders. 'We expect our employees to act in a professional manner at all times,' the memo said. 'When requesting information, conducting an interview and writing a story, our reporters know the standards and practices of the Times Free Press.'
Some employees said staffers had taken such a neutral statement by Griscom as possibly agreeing with the mayor. Griscom denied such a notion, saying he had not made a decision either way. 'People are entitled to their own opinion,' he told E&P. 'I have to look at all of the facts before I speak for this newspaper.'
Posted by pulseblogger at 02:53 PM | TrackBack
Littlefield on WGOW on TFP Reporter Ban
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield appeared briefly this morning on WGOW's "The Morning Press" to discuss the banning of Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Michael Weber from the access to the city.
"He's a northerner who thinks we're all stupid," said Littlefield. Littlefield also implied that Weber might be "dangerous" and said that Weber was "wasting his time" on non-stories.
Two of the stories that, according to Littlefield, Weber was pressing him on were the Rob Healy story and a story on the contract that was recently awarded to Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc.
From our story, "Bombs Away":
"Littlefield told Healy that he wanted to contract Oak Ridge-based architectural and engineering firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon to provide the city with Zehnder’s services and other counsel. Healy, meanwhile, would keep the same salary of $103,000 while narrowing his responsibilities."
From Rob Healy's statement to the Chattanooga City Council on March 14:
"I am assuming by the resolution presented by Mayor Littlefield to execute a contract with Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc., to perform professional management services for the Department of Parks and Recreation that I have been fired from my position as the administrator."
Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon was one of two companies hired to develop an initial site development plan, layout features, division of parcels and planning of infrastructure components for what is now Enterprise South.
Read Joe Lance's thoughts on the matter here.
Posted by pulseblogger at 10:16 AM | TrackBack
April 13, 2006
Mayor Bans TFP Reporter from Contacting City
Read about it here, here, here and here.
Posted by colrus at 09:06 PM | TrackBack
April 10, 2006
Taylor Housed
A crying Winchester judge sentenced Rheubin Taylor II on Thursday to 12 months of house arrest and three years of probation for committing voluntary manslaughter in the Bessie Smith Strut shooting that killed Tory Hardy in 2003.
“He has accepted responsibility from the first moment,” Taylor’s attorney Stewart Jenkins told Judge Buddy Perry of Winchester. “He came forward and said 'This is what happened and this is what I did.’”
That was little comfort to Hardy’s mother, Terry Lynn Nicholson, who said in a statement that Taylor had received special treatment from the courts – his father is a city attorney – and not spent a day in jail. “It has been sickening watching you be free as though everything is normal,” she said, according to Chattanoogan.com reports.
After the verdict, however, Nicholson prayed with members of the Taylor family. “I have prayed about this,” she told television reporters, “and it's too heavy, and if I continue to carry it I’m going to stay a victim. I just want everybody to know that I’m OK with this. My grandson is going to be raised up OK. This was God's will and I’m happy with that.”
Perry broke down crying before delivering his sentence, saying that he had recently lost a child himself.
Posted by mesh at 03:20 PM | TrackBack
Overheard at the Immigration Protest, Miller Park
Minutes before nearly 200 Hispanic protestors broke from their position on the hill in Miller Park and marched south on Market Street, a heated exchange took place between a (I'm guessing) teenaged protestor and the most vocal member of the almost non-existent counterprotest. The teenager was one of a few in the crowd displaying a Mexican flag and the counterprotestor took issue with it.
Counterprotestor: "Why are you holding that flag? Why don't you hold an American flag? If Mexico is so great, why are you here? Why don't you go back?"
Protestor: "Chinga tu madre, puto." (Translation: "Fuck your mother, asshole.")
The protestors then gave the teen a very loud and disapproving "Ssshhh!" as they stepped forward to raise their American flags and chant, "USA! USA! USA!"
Whatever your viewpoint on the issue of illegal immigration, it's evident that the vast majority of protestors truly love this country and want to be here. As they should.
Posted by pulseblogger at 01:01 PM | TrackBack
Paul Roberts Has Died
Longtime Chattanooga newsman Paul Roberts has died.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends, family and co-workers.
Posted by colrus at 11:12 AM | TrackBack
April 07, 2006
Severe Storms: "We Are Prepared"
Local officials said this afternoon that a line of severe storms could bring tonadoes, flash floods and hail to the region by as early as 6:00 tonight, but that emergency management preparations have been made.
"We're dealing with a potential -- a potential for bad, severe weather," said Hamilton County Emergency Management Services Director Don Allen. "Whether we'll get it, the good Lord knows. We've done, we think, all we can to prepare. We're as prepared as we know how to be."
Officials said tonight's storms could include flash flooding, cyclonic winds, cloud-to-ground lightning and stright winds up to 70 miles per hour. Allen said two tornadoes from the storm front had touched down in northern Tennessee, and the region had experienced hailstones two inches in diameter. National news reports confirmed these sightings.
Chattanooga Police Chief Steve Parks said 36 dispatchers -- 18 city, 18 county -- would be answering local 911 lines tonight. Mayor Ron Littlefield said the emergency lines, under fire in recent weeks for missing calls, were staffed "more than ever. ...We are prepared to take the calls tonight. I'm not surprised or offended that you would ask that. [But] we have a veteran group here. They've been through the blizzard of '93 and the tornadoes of '97, and numerous smaller incidents. We know how to prepare. We know how to respond. We're ready for what happens."
Allen said that citizens should be alert but calm. "We do not want to get the community to panic," he said. "I'm not advocating everybody go hide under their beds." He suggested that people buy bottled water and battery-powered flashlights in case of power outages.
County Mayor Claude Ramsey concluded the official remarks at the 911 Communications Center on Amnicola Highway: "The last thing would be, pray that none of this happens."
Posted by mesh at 04:43 PM | TrackBack
April 06, 2006
Buffalo Vendors
Even as Chattanooga's City Council debates banning vendors from the streets, Buffalo, New York is discovering that it misses the old pushcarts. So it's bringing vendors back. But how will it prevent public spaces from turning into a melee of ice cream trucks and and hot dog men? How can the anarchy be controlled? Can anything be done to regulate these ravenous salesmen?
Well, there's this:
To make the new offerings work, the conservancy chose a range of specific places vendors may bid on for a three-year contract with a minimum annual fee of $600.
Oh, that would never work. Better to ban the vendors altogether.
Posted by mesh at 04:17 PM | TrackBack
April 05, 2006
Flags, Colors Red, White and Blue Banned at California School
Read about it here.
School officials in Oceanside now say that flags -- whether they are U.S. or Mexican or any other country's -- have now become a divider on campuses, saying that some students are using them to taunt other students Keith Brentlinger displays the U.S. flag outside Hatter, Williams and Purdy, his Oceanside business.
"To me, it's everything," said Brentlinger "I mean, like I said -- we truly live in the greatest country in the world."
Brentlinger said he was shocked on Tuesday when marching immigration-reform protesters tore down the flag outside his business.
"Some of them just grabbed the flag, and pulled it off its aluminum pole, and it got ripped," said Brentlinger.
Brentlinger told NBC 7/39 that he put up a new flag the next day.
"Some protesters drove up in their car and snagged the flag from our building and took off," said Brentlinger. "I was extremely, extremely upset. I mean, it was just ... insulting is the word."
Thoughts?
Posted by colrus at 04:48 PM | TrackBack
April 04, 2006
And if THAT wasn't enough...
This might be the greatest cover band ever.
Posted by colrus at 11:21 AM | TrackBack
Must Watch Video: A Leprechaun in Mobile
This might be the greatest news package ever.
Posted by colrus at 11:05 AM | TrackBack
April 03, 2006
Chattanooga: Wikitravel Travel Destination of the Month
Yep, it's true. Read all about it here.
(Thanks to Phragmunkee for the tip.)
Posted by colrus at 12:16 AM | TrackBack
April 02, 2006
Mo Popo at the ATL
Officials of General Growth Properties, Inc. -- the parent company of Northgate Mall -- sent e-mails out to all of its 200-plus malls suggesting increased security at movie theatres in advance of Friday the premiere of, ATL, a film telling the story of four black freestyle-rollerskating teens who get involved in the drug trade.
In a Newschannel 9 piece about the increased security, some movie goers said it was a good move:
"I think it's a little shady, but it's probably a good idea for them to have security based on the movie and the people that they know is gonna come and see the movie," says movie goer Danielle Woods.
Others called it racist:
"In actuality, it is racial profiling," says Northgate shopper Waymon Maddox. "They don't beef up security at premiers for other controversial movies, why this one?"
Channel 9 asked Northgate spokesman Cathy Simms about the beefed-up security. She said that they do it all the time -- that they did it after September 11th, and they'll do it anytime they feel it's necessary. She said the move has nothing to do with profiling and everything to do with safety.
The station then called General Growth to find out what, exactly, it is about ATL that warrants the increased security. Company spokesperson David Keating said there was an incident at a mall several years ago, but declined to elaborate, instead sending the station a very vague statement:
"The email in question certainly was not meant to target the movie's content or its audience. We regret that the email could be read to imply something that we do not condone, and apologize for any unintended offense it may have caused."
Huh? What? Huh?
Anyway, fast forward to Saturday night...
Fights broke out at the Rave Theater in East Ridge after a showing of ATL.
Here's the play-by-play from Nooga.com:
Around 11:51 PM Saturday night, several East Ridge and Chattanooga police officers were dispatched to the Rave Theater on South Terrace in East Ridge when security officers on duty there reported fights were breaking out on the parking lot.As many as three separate fights were going on at one time on the parking lot. The fights were spread out from the front entrance of the theater to the Goodwill Store and the Dollar Store. No fights were reported inside the theater building.
An employee of the theater was injured with trauma to the back of the head and was unconscious for a few moments as paramedics with the Memorial EMS sped to the scene. The injured man was taken to East Ridge Hospital in fair condition.
At least one person was held at gunpoint by police officers while backup officers were en route.
While East ridge police officers handled the crowd in front the Rave, which is in the City of East Ridge, Chattanooga police handled the youths that had moved from the theater parking lot to the parking area at the nearby Sears Essentials store. Several youths were taken into custody and transported to jail or the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center, depending on age.
Most all of those fighting were black youths and most all had been to see the movie ATL, a PG-13 movie about black street youths in Atlanta including two rap scenes.
As other movies ended, movie patrons were told to go straight to their cars and leave. Police had the situation under control by about 12:15 a.m.
Nooga.com reported earlier this week officials at Northgate Mall had arranged for extra security while ATL was being shown at the mall. One witness said there was obviously extra security at the Rave including off-duty police officers.
There was also another incident -- this time a shooting -- after a showing of the film in Minneapolis.
I don't know what to say about all of this except that if Hollywood continues to glorify the thug life (even through cautionary tales like ATL), kids are going to continue embracing and imitating it.
Posted by colrus at 03:47 PM | TrackBack
Aretha Frankenstein's Burns Down
Aretha Frankenstein's, the beloved North Chattanooga neighborhood breakfast spot/coffee joint/bar burned to the ground early this morning. An investigation into the cause of the blaze is underway.
Posted by colrus at 02:19 PM | TrackBack