Saturday, March 30, 2013

Rep. Joe Mitchell's Notorious Email

One of the state representatives from Mobile apparently acted like a total jackass in an exchange of emails.

Birmingham citizen Eddie Maxwell sent a mass email to state legislators on Jan. 27, warning them that even attempting to introduce a gun control bill was, in his opinion, a violation of state law.

Mitchell responded from his public, ALHouse.gov email account at 11:59 p.m., telling Maxwell: "Your folk never used all this sheit (sic) to protect my folk from your slave-holding, murdering, adulterous, baby-raping, incestuous, snaggle-toothed, backward-a**ed, inbreed (sic), imported criminal-minded kin folk."

Whether Eddie Maxwell's case had merit, this seemed a totally bizarre response for a legislator to send to a private citizen whom he never met or had any other form of association.

A poll on http://al.com had about 80% of respondents choose that Rep. Joe Miller get his sorry ass out of the Alabama House.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/03/post_44.html#incart_river



Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Amanda Knox

Yesterday the Italian Supreme Court reversed Amanda Knox's acquital; in effect, giving her a double jeopardy situation. 

Whatever were the facts in Perugia six years ago, I am convinced that in no way will she get a fair trial in Italy.  The first attempt at trying her was a kangaroo court; and there is absolutely no reason that the dysfunctional Italian justice system will give her a fair hearing.

Does anything work very well there?

So, this is what I think should take place:

Italian courts: "We'd like to extradite Amanda Knox back into the tender mercies of our obviously fair and impartial judicial system."

The U.S.:  "Fuck you!"

Monday, March 25, 2013

Is Body Paint Equivalent to Clothing?

After reading an item on al.com about attempts in Orange Beach to restrict the sales of t-shirts containing 'offensive' messages, Jennifer and I had a philosophical discussion about what would constitute appropriate attire on the Redneck Riviera.  Actually, it's relatively unclear as to what forms of swimwear might pass muster.  Topless is out.  But are thongs or string bikinis okay? 

She had some unease; but it seemed that the bikini that she wore prompted no legal response from Baldwin County or Gulf Shores police.   Like most Southern males, they  were not going to look the gift horse of a scantily-clad lady in the mouth!

Jennifer raised an interesting question: would body paint over the regions in question serve as the moral and legal equivalent to clothing?  At present, only one community, one in Washington state, specified that it doesn't.  This was in response to the scourge of bikini baristas that broke out there who apparently used paint in lieu of a top!

If applied well, it is impossible to tell tight-fitting clothing from paint from a distance.  Indeed, in some places, there seems to be a let it slide attitude towards women wearing body paint to simulate clothing.

Ain't America great?   For further proof, here's Kate Upton in body paint: 

Now all that is needed is for the City Fathers or Mothers of Orange Beach to chill a little and let things go as they have been since time memorial on the Redneck Riviera!






Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Southern Living on "Cities With Style"

The recent issue of Southern Living featured an article on southern cities with style.  There were the four predictables: New Orleans, Atlanta, Charleston, and Nashville.  And two omissions: Miami and Memphis.

At least they didn't mention Montgomery, which has about as much style as Tallahassee or Jackson.

But they mentioned others.  Florence was one.

Yes, Flo-town.  What trip are they on?  And the mentioned Alabama Shakes in the context of Florence.

Alabama Shakes hails from Athens, which is in Limestone County, not Lauderdale.



Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Why You Can't Be a Success in the Shoals

This article in Sholanda Speaks really hit the nail on the head.  The Shoals is not welcoming to outsiders, but resents their presence unless they bring in a lot of power and money which the local oligarchy can use.

As a result, our economy has been pretty stagnant for a long time.  This is totally unrelated to the recession.

We need to be less closed in North Alabama.  Let the light in!

http://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-you-cant-be-success-in-shoals.html

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

This Is What We Pay For!

Being a member of Congress has some perks:
  • $174,000 salary
  • Free company car
  • Free gas
  • Free parking (even at airports)
  • Free flights almost anywhere in the world
  • Per diem travel allowance... up to $3,000 a trip
  • A month’s paid vacation
  • 3-day work-weeks
  • Free membership to a top-flight gym
  • Pension plan and 401K plan
  • Full retirement benefits (including up to 44% of their six figure salaries) at age 62
  • Free top of the line health insurance with 10 plans to choose from
  • Fully covered – even with pre-existing conditions

  • And yet they don't manage to do the fundamental job: working out a budget.  This Sequestration is just a symptom.

    Now you can go into your partisanship screeds.  But it seems to me that we should be getting more for our money than we do.

    All of them, including President Obama on down, all the Senators and Congresspersons need a big cut in pay!

    If they were baseball players, their performances would earn them a trip to the minors.

    But just so none of them wind up with the Huntsville Stars!