William McDonough is coming to Nashville. Evening of September 26th at Benton Chapel on Vanderbilt campus.

I hope everyone will be there!

Is anyone else out there slightly creeped out by the "business meetings" that are occurring with Hu Jintao of China? When Putin, Blair, Chirac, etc... come to the United States do they set up a lot of business meetings?

Something tells me that Jintao's ass has been kissed so much during this trip to the U.S. that he's going to have a hard time sitting down.

Exciting stuff going on in Scottsville, KY. They are proactively trying to preserve and redevelop their downtown.

Very progressive thinking in Kentucky.

Perhaps old Floyd should consider opening another barbershop in Scottsville...

I'm still alive. It's just that the barbershop has been extremely busy. Ange and Barn are real sticklers for their hair looking good. They must come twice a week.

There is almost too much to post about right now. So much is going down. Where do you start?

Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, I'll fire it back up.

Okay - so much for being timely. As opposed to talking about the Rove leak or the Supreme Court nomination, I think I'm going to really flaunt my timeliness by revisiting some very old news.

John Stewart has really been getting on my nerves lately. He's gotten so sanctimonious and self-satisfied that I have a hard time watching him. He has become the kind of person he used to hate - preachy and arrogant.

I think it all really came to a head with his appearance on CNN's crossfire. You've probably heard about it by now... he went on there and hammered Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala about how the show isn't helpful. He was particularly harsh toward Carlson calling him "a dick". Granted Carlson was being a jackass, but quite honestly, I don't really blame him - I mean this is his (and the other hosts') show, and Stewart comes on all holier than thou telling them they suck. I can just imagine how Stewart would react on his own show.

Then on top of it all Stewart is lauded by the press for taking a stand and putting crossfire in its place and ultimately driving its eventual cancellation. I happen to agree with Stewart that Crossfire and shows of its ilk were not doing anything to advance the public good, but the way he goes about it is really disgusting. Just take a look at the tape and tell me who the dick is in the whole scenario.

John, you really can't have it both ways. You can't take yourself so seriously and try to change the world and then deflect criticism by saying that you're just a comedy show. Go one way or the other with it. Take a stand, John - or is that just oversimplifying the matter.

Quick update to my Save PBS rant:

It is working... somewhat. Keep up the fight.

Update from APTS

Update from PBS

Okay, I couldn't stay away for long.

But I am intrigued by the CIA Leak Case.

Surely you've heard the story by now: "someone" with access to classified information leaked the name of a CIA agent who just happened to be the wife of Joseph C. Wilson IV, former "acting" ambassador to Iraq and someone who was critical of the president and the administration's foreign policy. He made a lot of waves and ticked off a lot of Republicans with a New York Times op-ed questioning whether the Bush administration manipulated evidence of WMD to promote war in Iraq.

Click here for a full (and long) timeline of the events

Well all of the events have since touched off an investigation into who in the administration leaked the identity of the agent. Reporters have been encouraged to give up their confidential sources. One has caved to the pressure of court orders and fear of going to jail - and because his employer has concluded that they are not above the law (what a novel idea). Another reporter has refused to give her sources up and has gone to jail because of it to great fanfare and grandstanding about her courage and bravery

Whatever you think about reporters' rights to maintain confidential, anonymous sources - and quite frankly, I'm not sure where I come down on it at this point - you have to love the irony (and perhaps even the principle) of Miller and the Times for refusing to leak her source - as it is most likely the one man that they and the Left (and quite possibly some from the Right) would most love to see gone from this White House - KARL ROVE Don't you know that was a bitter pill for the Times to swallow - going to jail in an effort to protect Karl Rove - of all people. Oh the irony.

Anyway - enough of my ranting. I guess I'll end with something from one of these articles that really bothered me and speaks to the root of the problem that I have with the media these days. That is Judith Miller's statement:

"The freest and fairest societies are not only those with independent judiciaries," she said, "but those with an independent press that works every day to keep government accountable by publishing what the government might not want the public to know."

I agree with her to some extent - that is certainly one of the most important functions of the press and media. The statement disturbs me however, because there are other reasons and functions of an independent press. It should give equal time (or at least close to equal time) to positive events that are occuring in the world - even if the government does want the public to know. I know it's hard to believe, but occasionally, the government of the United States of America, does do some good things, but you would never know it. I guess that sort of thing doesn't sell newspapers. Oh well.

Alright, alright... I started this thing with grand ideas of posting regularly, and I have failed miserably. I've jut been too busy. I guess I'll just have to start getting up a bit earlier to give you a piece of my mind. Several things I wanted to post about but couldn't find the time...

1. There was real celebration at O'malley's cabin when the local Fox affliate recently aired two color episodes of The Andy Griffith Show that actually had Barney in them (Episodes 211 and 212). I hadn't seen them in years. These "color barney" episodes are much better than the usual Howard-laced tripe that the color episodes usually are. The episodes, however, still don't measure up to any of the black and white run. They make Barney out to be the most worthless character ever, which just isn't right. Sure he's a pathetic in his own way, but he shouldn't be a tragic figure. I'll have to research this and find out what happened to the writers of that show at the advent of the color age. Something dramatically took a turn for the worse.

2. Meanwhile, the convicts at O'Malley's were left to ponder why Natalee Holloway's family felt the need to so publicly vent on FoxNews with Greta Van Susteren. I can see their wanting to keep the case alive and at the forefront of the news so as to help find their daughter; I can see their wanting to publicly chastise the Aruban government and lobby for help from the U.S. governmentut. But to get on national television and talk about your feelings and what its like to go through this whole ordeal - I just don't get it. I would think this would be an intensely personal experience that you wouldn't want to air to everyone and their step-sister, but what do I know.

Don't get me wrong, I feel absolutely terrible for the family and hope and pray for the best for them. I don't say this as a criticism - noone can truly know what they are going through, and hopefully we won't ever be put in such a position. I just find it an interesting way of dealing with it, and of course, the media, has been eating it up.

Anyway, hopefully I will be able to post more often. I already have a few topics that I know I want to post on - now if I can just find the time...

Is it just me, or does it blow your mind that a government/administration that is so concerned about the filth that is on TV right now (and I agree with them - there is a lot of filth) is proposing cutting funding for PBS by over $220 million? Over $220,000,000.00?!?!?

Please note that particularly hard hit will be PBS's "Ready to Learn" Programming which includeds Sesame Street, Arthur, Reading Rainbow, and several others. Yeah, I guess the conservative Congress would rather have their children watch people who cheat on their girlfriends with their mothers on Jerry Springer... or people eating maggots out of rotten meat on NBC's "Fear Factor"... or Britney Spears say things like "more better" and talk about her sex life on UPN's "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic"... or teen sex, drugs, and alcohol on Fox's "The OC". Those are much more wholesome characters than say Big Bird or Oscar the Grouch.

The list of horrifying filth that litters our TV screens could go on forever. And yet here we have our Republican Congress - supposedly the great leaders on family values - getting ready to cut the only decent programming on TV. Wasn't everyone, especially the right wing, up in arms just over a year ago when we saw Janet Jackson's nipple for half a second? Honestly, where is the outrage now? Where are Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson when you really need them?

Don't get me wrong, PBS hasn't done itself any favors by showing, no matter how innocently, lesbian couples on "Postcards from Buster". But that was one episode, and as best we can tell, they've learned their lesson. There's no reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Who are the players? Well the cuts will ultimately come from the House Committee on Appropriations. The Chairman of the committee is named - believe it or not - Jerry Lewis. The cuts are originating in the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. The chairman of that subcommittee is Ralph Regula

For a look at some of what is being proposed from the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies you can see the FULL COMMITTEE REPORTS FY06 LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL You'll notice that they don't say anything about the cutting of funding for PBS other than noting the amendment proposed by ranking minority member David Obey which "provides $400 million in FY08 advance funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting." Let's just hope the CPC can make it to 2008.

I urge everyone to fight this proposal. Call Ralph and Jerry. Call your representative. If it makes it to the Senate, call your senator.

For more information about what is being done and how to stop it visit the Save PBS page and the Association of Public Television Stations