Weighing in

I dislike shopping at Wal-Mart. There are sundry reasons: The crowds, lack of personalized attention and service, jammed aisles, screaming kids (both of which are covered under "crowds" but deserve a category of their own."

Mostly, I dislike it because it's throwing money at a conglomerate that has more than its officials know what to do with. So they do what most haughty offiicials do: Make their employees' lives miserable with paltry wages and benefits and lower their prices so that any small business finds it impossible to compete.

The Evil Empire. The Great Satan. They all add up to Wal-Mart.

Yet I still shop there. I'm miserable the whole time I glide my shopping cart through its big-box interior and pay what's usually a three-figure amount at the register that I waited for two weeks to approach.

There's a reason: On my meager salary, it would be fiscally irresponsible of me not to try and save money anywhere I can. And in my town, unfortunately, Wal-Mart gives me the most bang for my buck.

My shopping habits have very little to do with what's been going on in my backyard this week.

Or do they?

Anyone who has opened a newspaper, flicked on a TV or clicked onto Yahoo! news knows about the coal-ash sludge that exploded in East Tennessee on Monday. A once-pristine area that looked over what I've always believed to be a nasty waterway is now nasty itself -- buried under tons of coal ash, a byproduct of the coal-burning Kingston TVA Fossil Plant.

My heart breaks for the families who have been displaced by this tragedy. Less than a week ago, these folks were making plans for the holidays -- only to find themselves displaced, their Christmases anything but merry.

The country turned its head at first -- then realized there was a goldmine underneath the talc-like chemicals that polluted the landscape and waterways in Roane County. The national media paraded in -- CNN, NBC, The New York Times.

The environmentalists also came. How could TVA allow this to happen? It's dangerous. Coal ash carries toxins. The ecosystem of the Tennessee River has been destroyed.

Bloggers, both locally and nationally, are also on their soapboxes of indignation. How could this happen? TVA is Satan. Oh, my god, they're working to unblock the railway to bring in more coal that will produce even more ash!

I love the environment. I refuse to litter, and I berate anyone who does in my presence. I grumble when my path along I-40 takes me past the fossil plant, especially in the colder months when discharges from the smokestacks are extremely visible. I've often wondered how clear the Tennessee, Emory and Clinch rivers would have been, had it not been for TVA and nearby Oak Ridge plants polluting them. I've been sickened when fishermen, obviously bothered by the visual, tell me about fish with oozing sores on them.

The environment near this steam plant hasn't been a mecca of cleanliness for some time, folks. Not in my lifetime, and probably not in my parents' lifetimes.

The reality is that TVA will continue to produce electricity at Kingston, and we'll continue to use it. It's like the Wal-Mart analogy: It's the cheapest way.

The computer I'm using at this precise moment is powered by TVA electricity, probably generated at the Kingston Fossil Plant. If you're in the South and reading this, your computer is probably powered likewise. The printer you used, if I'm vain enough to think you might have printed this off to share with a friend, is most likely powered by TVA energy.

A lot of the bloggers and environmentalists derailing TVA on the information superhighway are also using computers powered by TVA. They may have laptops with batteries, but those batteries are likely charged by ... yep.

Journalists in the area covering the story are also consuming TVA power. Their hotel rooms have electrical lights, TVs and, most likely, water heaters. That is, unless they're roughing it at a campground -- and I can't see NBC's correspondent sleeping in a pup tent, can you?

We're dependent on electricity -- TVA electricity. The only way to stop it is to call your power company and have them take off our meters. Our ancesters lived without electricity, but I doubt many of us would take the leap. I'll go ahead and be the first to admit that I'm not doing it.
There are cleaner way of producing electricity. Those methods, however, aren't affordable to most of us. And with the cleanup TVA is facing, my bet is that they're not affordable to the federal government, either.

(Of course, we know who will be paying for that. If you have any doubt, look in a mirror. It'll probably be on your next bill.)

I'll keep grumbling when I have occasion to drive by the smokestacks on I-40. And I'll continue to complain when I get my utility bill. But I like my computer, TV, washing machine and hot water too much to be proactive. And I'm too poor to go to solar or wind.

That's the Wal-Mart -- and TVA -- way.

I Will Always Love You

"Have you ever met anyone famous?"

That question was among one I answered on a MySpace survey a few days ago. I answered, "yep," with no explanation. I've met several famous people over the years, but the one I thought of initially was the first one I met.

I was in seventh grade on a field trip at Opryland when I caught my first and only real-life glimpse of Porter Wagoner. The rhinestone-laden suit, with sequined wagon wheels, were over the top in my young mind as the steely blue-eyed Wagonmaster, with brilliant, combed-back blond hair, weaved through us throngs of youngsters who were more interested in the Wabash Cannonball ride than the man who helped make Dolly Parton on her way to international fame.

I didn't ride the Wabash that day. And the image of Porter Wagoner never left me.

On Sunday, Porter Wagoner died at the age of 80. I knew death was imminent when it was announced on Friday that he had gone into hospice care. But I wasn't ready for it to be this soon.

I cannot claim to be a Wagoner fan. I know he was the face of the Opry over the past several years, but I didn't follow him closely. His face, however, is one of the etchings in my memory from childhood. Watching "The Porter Wagoner Show" on Saturday afternoons was what one did in rural East Tennessee in the 1960s and 1970s.

One of my earliest memories is of watching Porter and Dolly on my aunt's tiny black-and-white TV. They sang together and hawked Black Draught and other products. (I can still hear Dolly extolling the virtues of Cardui.) And I remember Speck Rhoads, the comedy relief for the show. Can't remember a darned thing he said, but the man deserves a nod for the Comedy Hall of Fame for simply wearing that bowler hat and loud plaid suit in public. It actually made Porter's garb look ... well, kind of normal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqmyfQDN6ik

In Dolly's autobiography, she reveals that her song, "I Will Always Love You," was written for Porter. That, in my opinion, makes it all the more poignant.

If I should stay
Well, I would only be in your way
And so I'll go, and yet I know
That I'll think of you each step of my way
And I will always love you
I will always love you

Bitter-sweet memories
That's all I have, and all I'm taking with me
Good-bye, oh, please don't cry
cause we both know that I'm not
What you need
I will always love you
I will always love you

And I hope life, will treat you kind
And I hope that you have all
That you ever dreamed of
Oh, I do wish you joy
And I wish you happiness
But above all this
I wish you love

I love you, I will always love
I, I will always, always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
Source: LyricsFreak

Rest in peace, Wagonmaster.

Listen ...

Hear that? That muted, sleep-seducing noise you hear is rain.

Yes, indeed! Precipitation has returned to East Tennessee, and it's a glorious thing!

What a beautiful day it's going to be ...

Potpourri

John Mark Karr has been arrested for battery, apparently stemming from an argument with his girlfriend.

Girlfriend? HELLO?!?

How desperate are you for a man if you think hooking up with this deviant is a good idea? I can hear it now ... "I know he confessed to brutally killing a little girl in Colorado, and he married two teenagers -- one of them 13 -- and he's been arrested for possession of child pornography, and he's been known to have a weird penchant for young girls ... but Daddy, I LOVE HIM!"

Ewwwwwwwww ... I think I need a shower now.

***

I don't give a damn how much John Edwards pays for a haircut, and I don't know why anyone else does.

The man is stinking rich! If he wants to spends $1,250 or more for a coiffure, go for it. It's not like he's taking food out of the mouths of starving babes. And, hey, it beats the hell out of spending more money than either Edwards or I will see in our lifetimes on a war with a country that has nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. Note: The latter is funded with taxpayer money, while Edwards' high-dollar haircuts are not.

It's not how I'd spend my money, but, hey, it's not my money. And he does have good hair. It's better than Rudy or Fred's. Hell, it's better than Hillary's -- and I like Hillary.

***

Congrats to Eva Longoria and Tony Parker. Now go away.

You got married yesterday. So what? Lots of other folks did, too. You're no Charles and Diana -- or Charles and Camilla, for that matter.

Remember, Charles and Diana had "the wedding of the century" and later divorced. My money's on the same fate for you.

***

Does anybody really care that Clay Aiken got into a tussle with a woman on an airplane?

***

Anyone who hears me speak knows I have a Mouth from the South. If you haven't heard me, think Clay Aiken or John Edwards. We have very similar dialects.

Not only does my Mouth from the South carry that lilt, it also, at no warning, will refer to you as "honey," "sweetie" or "dear." In the South, that's as involuntary as breathing. The staff at work from time to time have all been one of the above. Heck, I even STILL call The Ex "honey."

I bet Jan Hicks does and did, too. Unfortunately, the former assistant district attorney was censured by the Board of Professional Responsibility for referring to a judge as "honey."

I'm unfamiliar with Hicks both personally and by reputation, but I sympathize with her. I know such terms of endearment could be perceived badly in a courtroom setting. But come on! This isn't "Law and Order." It's the South -- it's Tennessee.

And honey, it's just the way we talk.

Incredible

Incredibly sickening, that is.

The Girl is on throes of the four-year life's journey known as high school. Naturally, friends want to know my impressions as the first-time mom of a high schooler.

The latest contenders are a couple of her father's friends, who have a son a year younger than The Girl. As the mother and I chatted, the father informed his wife that their son likely would not be going to high school next year.

Apparently, that was news to her, for she replied, "Really? Why?"

"My son," this baboon declared, "will not go to a high school where a f** is the principal."

(My apologies to baboons. It's the first metaphor that entered my mind that was family friendly.)

The mother, who normally is not my favorite person, became my hero with her next carefully chosen words:

"Uh-huh." Insert huge pregnant pause here. "Well, you'll be homeschooling him, then, because I'm not going to do it."

As much as I love my little corner of the world, I abhor these attitudes. Said principal is a caring man whose priority is the students. I don't know his sexual orientation, nor do I care.

The students in this district couldn't be in better hands. I'm proud and delighted my daughter will be in high school with an exemplary leader at the helm.

Unfortunately, The Baboon's attitude is rampant here. If the principal were African-American, I have no doubt he would have inserted the n-word in place of the f-word.

Disgusting. It truly is.

Did I mention that The Baboon has a highly regarded job? Yeah. Scary thought.

Asshole.

***
Dark ages attitudes aside, mornings like this one remind me why I love East Tennessee.

After a much-needed downpour yesterday, it is sunny and beautiful outside. The lush greens are showing off, and the mugginess has lifted.

It's a clear, beautiful day. Enjoy it.

I hate UT sports

... and this is why:

In a little more than five months — and after years of lobbying from one of the game's most renowned coaches — Tennessee will finally have its plush basketball practice facility.

There's an irony here: Summitt has won seven national titles and is the winningest coach, male or female, in Division I college basketball history. Still, it took the success of a men's coach, Bruce Pearl, just two years at UT to generate the donor interest to finally make all this come to pass.

At
UT, it's still a man's world

Dumbasses. They deserve to lose Pat for all the respect they give her.

You've got to be there!

The News Sentinel has a big splash about The 1982 World's Fair today. As part of the coverage, all these people have given their memories about the fair -- even those who were about 3 at the time.

I was there -- once. And how bad is it to admit that I have no memories of the fair itself?

I was 18, and it was one of the last hurrahs before I graduated from high school. I went with my FHA chapter. (That's Future Homemakers of America.) Here's what I remember:

-- While on the bus, we passed a bus from the Tennessee School for the Deaf. They were using ASL and, being smartasses (dumbasses is more like it), we pantomimed what we thought was sign language. We should have had our heads slapped.

-- Minutes later, we heard a helicopter overhead. One of the girls dropped the bus window, stuck out her head and yelled, "Hi, Pete!" in hopes that she'd just spotted Pete Michaels, traffic watcher from the sky for our favorite radio station, WOKI-FM.

-- We all talked about trying to get free beer from the pavilions. Talk is all it was. I was a good Baptist girl and my mom would have tanned my hide smartly if I had followed through. It didn't matter that Mom was 60 miles away. She would have known.

-- I was with my friend Wilma. Don't remember what we did or saw. I just remember her being there.

-- We stopped at a McDonald's on the way home. The place was decked out in sea theme. The biggest chuckle of the day was when one of the girls pointed out the restrooms which were, in bad punese, marked "Buoys" and "Gulls."

It was a trip I'll never forget -- even if the fair was forgettable.

What's worse?

cup of joe powell/ is quickly becoming one of my favorite bloggers.

Today, he has a link to Media Matters.0 In light of the Don Imus situation, they've taken on other talk jocks -- Neil Boortz and Michael Savage among them.

Both of these talk jocks have prominent places on the local NewsTalk lineup. Boortz was on my list the first day I heard him, when he referenced "the Japs." And Savage is offensive every time he opens his mouth.

Media Matters includes e-mail addresses for the talk jocks. I suggest a third: e-mail our own local station and ask that they be taken off the airwaves. Here you go: wnox.news@citcomm.com

Ummmm ... you forgot someone!

I generally dedicate my Sunday mornings (and sometimes, like today, Sunday afternoons) to catching up on bloggers around me.

I generally leave the computer enlightened, even if I'm not seeking it.

Today's readings generated something interesting from Cup of Joe Powell. He lists the top 10 of Tennessee's "Power 100" from Business Tennessee.

I thought I'd take it a step further, and list some of the ones who might strike a familiar chord in my little corner of the state. (I have to wonder, though, how Coach Phil Fulmer was bested by Dave Cooley. Then again, I wonder why my name wasn't among them!)

For your perusal:

99 Jack Fishman
President, CEO & Publisher • Lakeway Publishers
Flat out the most influential businessman in Morristown but who also has considerable statewide and national reach. Publisher of more than a dozen community papers, magazines and Web sites across East and Middle Tennessee (and Missouri) including The Citizen Tribune in Morristown, The Tullahoma News, The Grundy County Herald of Tracy City, The Herald Chronicle of Winchester, The Manchester Times, and Elk Valley Times of Fayetteville. Member, State Board of Regents (over six universities and 13 community colleges). Director, SunTrust Bank, Morristown, Knoxville. Former Morristown Chamber head who has led local economic development for decades. One of just 22 board members of the Associated Press, the largest and oldest news organization in the world with 243 bureaus in 97 countries. Past president, National Newspaper Association. Director, Newspaper Association of America.

94 Phil Fulmer
Head football coach • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Recovered from first losing season in 13 years to capture nine victories and a New Year’s Day bowl appearance. Topped it off with a banner recruiting year (top five nationally). Remains an entrenched powerhouse in Big Orange nation leading a football program and financial rainmaker for the university and state that is near and dear to many top Tennessee CEOs and average Tennesseans alike.

84 Lincoln Davis
4th District Congressman
Represents broad swath of rural East Tennessee as member of the new Democratic majority. But makes list more for prowess as a political animal than a policy tool in Washington D.C. Always heavily involved in other people’s campaigns (chaired the recent Ford Jr. for Senate campaign), Davis’ hip-tight relationships with party faithful across state is expected to bolster an eventual gubernatorial run by the former state Senator from Pall Mall.

71 Gerald Boyd
Manager of Oak Ridge Operations • U.S. Department of Energy
Top federal official in Oak Ridge with oversight of all Department of Energy facilities and assets there (as well as contractors UT-Battelle and BWXT). Essentially the CEO of a multi-billion business that contributes mightily to Tennessee’s business success and climate. DOE and its federal contractors represent about 12,000 Tennessee jobs with direct wages and salaries totaling more than $650 million.

48 Bruce Hartmann
President & Publisher • Knoxville News Sentinel
Runs Knoxville News Sentinel, with its circulation of over 121,000 daily and over 153,000 on Sunday. Recently rolled out new monthly business publication in concert with Knox Area Chamber of Commerce. Newest board is Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Previously chaired Tennessee Theatre Foundation efforts, raising $24 million in restoration funding. Credited with aiding Gov. Bredesen’s surprising win in Knox County in close 2002 election.

47 Jim Cooper
5th District Congressman
Policy co-chair of powerful Blue Dog Coalition comprised of more than 50 deficit-hawkish, socially conservative Democrats now equipped with a lot of bargaining power in the Democratic-controlled House. Member, Armed Services Committee, spearheading call for Iraq war strategy shift. Recently added to congressional watchdog committee, targeting waste and fraud. A highly respected go-to guy for new majority in nation’s Capitol.

44 Jeff Wadsworth
Director • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Heads globally significant facilities that house the $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source, the world’s largest civilian science project; the Department of Energy’s first nanoscience center; and the world’s largest non-classified computer. Under Wadsworth, ORNL has emerged as arguably America’s most relevant National Lab and the preferred location of federal decision makers for important and big dollar scientific endeavors. (Could a more public leading role on alternative fuels research be next?)

40 Mike Ragsdale
Mayor • Knox County
Recently re-elected president, state association of county mayors—an ideal platform to nurse a future gubernatorial run. Lack of personal wealth—though not qualification or personality—needed to be successful in that endeavor may hold him back. Despite recent acrid political environment, has helped turn county around with ability to govern, make friends, accentuate the positive and produce results.

38 Dave Cooley
Principal • Cooley Public Strategies
Political strategy whiz that recently departed post as Tennessee’s Deputy Governor (running day-to-day operations of the $25 billion business that is state government). Gov. Bredesen’s longtime trusted adviser, Cooley has now formed a consulting group attached to Tennessee’s largest public relations firm, McNeely, Pigott & Fox. Well placed outside the administration but with unsurpassed access to it, Cooley’s power remains strong across the state’s business and political spheres.

36 Zach Wamp
3rd District Congressman
While it would be better for Tennessee to have a majority Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee controlling where federal spending goes, that committee is historically less partisan than many, so Wamp’s presence on Tennessee’s behalf remains crucial (consider ongoing Chickamauga Lock funding). Wamp is also revered by East Tennessee leaders, in part for his role in the life of the Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor, a business development phenomenon.

35 Pat Summitt
Lady Vols basketball coach • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Winningest coach in college basketball history—including Bobby Knight. Cheatham County native who fashioned the template for income-producing women’s college game nationally (and deserves much credit for the viability of the pro women’s game as well). As the genesis of such parity, it is all the more impressive that she remains a top-five program year in and year out. Like Dolly Parton, a recognized Tennessee brand in international circles.

32 Bill Haslam
Mayor of Knoxville
Now three years on the job, the former Pilot Corp. and Saks executive and member of the prominent Haslam family has become a legitimate prospect for governor. With the Haslam family purse strings (and East Tennessee political heft), he would be under any circumstances. Well regarded for business-like approach to running city government. Knoxville is in strong financial shape and increasingly the darling of national business press.

31 Bill Sansom
Chairman & CEO • H.T. Hackney Co.
Owns and runs one of Tennessee’s largest private companies, $3 billion plus, 116-year-old, Knoxville-based wholesale food distribution business (serving 20,000 independent grocers with 25,000 different products). Subsidiaries include bottled water company and furniture manufacturing outfits. New chairman of TVA, the nation’s largest utility, steering it toward a nuclear future. Former state commissioner of transportation and finance. Cross-state public company board service includes Mid-America Apartment Communities, First Horizon and Astec.

30 Jimmy Haslam
CEO • Pilot Corp.
Leading Tennessee’s second largest privately held company, Pilot Corp., 50% owner of the nation’s largest travel center operator. Has grown father’s company to more than 270 locations, and, by introducing fast food partnerships, has become one of America’s largest restaurant franchise operators. Reunited company with Marathon. Purchased Williams Travel Centers. Steadily supplanting father as both the chief business and political fundraising force in East Tennessee.

29 Julius Johnson
Chief administrative officer/lobbyist • Tennessee Farm Bureau
Columbia-based voice of the largest Farm Bureau Federation in the United States based on membership and one of the top insurance companies in Tennessee. As such, steers the most powerful lobby watching over the state’s legislative process and actions of largely rurally elected lawmakers. Represents state’s agricultural sector and its tens of billions of dollars in annual output, now benefiting from over $60 million in state investments in alternative fuels research.

19 Jim Clayton
Founder • Clayton Homes
Legendary Knoxville businessman who sold his manufactured home empire to renowned investor Warren Buffett, grossing $474 million and raising East Tennessee’s business profile in the process. Now having a profound impact on the East Tennessee region via venture capital. Also building a statewide community banking empire, FSB Bancshares. And boldly and profitably consolidating the manufactured housing lending market. Clayton Homes donated tons of mobile homes following Hurricane Katrina disaster.

16 Lamar Alexander
U.S. Senator
Tennessee’s senior senator, though in the minority party. Named to Senate Appropriations Committee determining where federal money flows. Also on the Environment Committee. Crafty politician who will find ways to be a player and affect Tennessee in positive ways despite his minority status. The only Tennessean popularly elected both governor and U.S. Senator. Former U.S. Education Secretary and UT president. Maryville native founded what’s now America’s largest provider of worksite daycare.

14 Dolly Parton
Entertainer & Entrepreneur
Among nation’s most-recognized entertainers (recently awarded nation’s highest arts award, the Kennedy Center Honor), its leading tourism spokesperson and champion of children’s literacy (her Imagination Library program, through which 160,000 kids receive free books monthly, covers Tennessee and increasingly the United States). Businesswoman behind Pigeon Forge’s Dollywood amusement park, Tennessee’s top tourist attraction, drawing over two million visitors annually. Recently pledged $500,000 toward construction of replacement Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center.

12 Gerald Nicely
Commissioner • Tennessee Department of Transportation
Gov. Bredesen’s right-hand man called on in 2002 to usher in a new era of public interaction and consensus-building at formerly insular TDOT. Tabbed during last year’s highway trooper cronyism scandal as interim director of the Department of Safety. Against the backdrop of aging highways and budget cuts, will influence Bredesen’s policy direction on possible gas taxes, bond measures replacing pay-as-you-go formula or creation of toll roads.

8 James “Big Jim” Haslam II
Chairman • Pilot Corp.
Founded state’s second largest private company, co-owner of the largest operator of highway travel plazas in America and the largest seller of over-the-road diesel fuel. Company employs over 13,000 in 40 states and recently expanded footprint to Canada. Top Tennessee political fundraiser and currently (he is retiring soon) the most powerful University of Tennessee trustee (who gave school $34 million gift last year). Boards include First Horizon and Ruby Tuesday.

7 John Petersen
President • University of Tennessee system
Chief operating officer of geographically diverse, well-staffed, multi-facility University of Tennessee system, making him a rare example of a person whose power is scattered from border to border in Tennessee. Now a few years in the position, and with a bold new strategic mission in place, Petersen is a person whose power is escalating fast as he emerges fully as a voice in statewide political and business circles.

6 Ron Ramsey
Lt. Gov. • State of Tennessee
Blountville Republican who this year amassed the votes needed to at long last topple longtime Tennessee Lt. Gov. John Wilder from his Senate Speaker post. Vast new powers include selecting committee heads, determining the path of Senate legislation and serving as a roadblock to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s legislative agenda where deemed necessary by the GOP. Also appoints (or chooses not to re-appoint) citizen members to influential state boards and commissions.

Do it, then I'll consider your words

The editor of one of our state's major papers has decided he's an expert at firefighting.

McElroy: This smoke should be investigated

I'm no expert, either, but after living with a firefighter for more than a decade, I think its safe to say that I have a bit more insight than Mr. McElroy. I wonder what makes him think the issue is NOT under investigation? Just because the fire department is not showing him all its cards doesn't mean it's not playing the game.

Yes, mistakes were made. Those men have probably chastised themselves time and again for those mistakes. It's easy to sit here, one month later, and rationalize over the should haves and could haves, but the simple fact is that we -- McElroy and I -- were not there in the heat of the moment, when critical decisions must be made.

Further, according to McElroy:

The fire, thought to be controlled after gutting two warehouses, burst into flames again hours after the first alarm, destroying a third downtown building.

Reigniting hot spots are not uncommon in any fire -- be it a simple practice of leaf burning or a major catastrophe, such as the McClung blaze. Frankly, I would have been surprised if there hadn't been any reigniting. Many times, firefighters babysit a scene for hours to watch for any signs of rekindling. Anyone who monitors a police scanner -- which, I'm assuming, the News Sentinel does -- is aware of that.

These firefighters have no harsher critics than themselves. It would serve this editor well to acknowledge his lack of expertise in firefighting and put his attention back into the newsroom.