Griz take it 102-82 to stay even with Denver and three games up on Minnesota. Get details in Grizzlies blog (link on home page).
Categories
Month: April 2005
Categories
FROM MY SEAT
THEIR CHEATING HEARTS
If there’s anything worse than a lie, it’s misdirected love. To learn that your affections have been at the mercy of something less than genuine, less than the ideal that drew your heart in the first place . . . this is the kind of “broken promise” that hurts not only in the present, but with every memory attached to the lost love.
The 2005 baseball season opens this week under a steroid cloud that darkens every ballpark from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine. The allegations, the rumors, the scutiny, the Canseco book, the congressional testimony, the new regulations drawn up for the major leagues . . . all of these dance in our heads as we try and soak up the green and welcome back the sound of bat striking ball. There’s an appropriate symmetry to the game’s greatest player (and among the most scrutinized in this steroid storm), Barry Bonds, sitting out the first Opening Day in his 20-year career. With baseball’s image so torn to shreds, and Bonds so adversarial throughout his career — even before his ties to BALCO and steroids — fans might do themselves right by imagining Bonds rehabbing his surgically repaired knee while wearing a dunce cap in the corner.
Alas, the reality of the national pastime’s current suffering and any hopes it may have for rehabbing itself as an institution are heavier matters than a cartoonist’s pen might capture. You see, the damage goes so far beyond record books, statistics on bubble-gum cards, or Hall of Fame credibility. When Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa appeared before a congressional hearing on St. Patrick’s Day, the two men most credited with “saving” the game in 1998 — remember when labor relations was the sport’s biggest problem? — became the faces (above suit and tie, no less) of misdirected love. Every bedroom of every child that once held a Big Mac or Slammin’ Sammy poster above the bookshelf may as well have received its own scarlet letter (‘S’ for steroid) to be mounted on the door.
My firstborn daughter was not quite a year old — it was April 8, 2000 — when her mother and I took her to her first St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium. St. Louis beat Milwaukee that day, and I can very much conjure the goose bumps (the gasp!) when McGwire launched his first home run of the season over the centerfield wall. My sweet Sofia had no idea what all the excitement was about, all the people, all the red! But she knew there was excitement, and it found a crest with Big Mac’s moon shot. I left the stadium that Saturday afternoon convinced I’d be telling Sofia about the day she saw a McGwire home run well into my golden years. Now? I’ll remind her of the date, but I’ll likely focus more on the fact she was lucky enough to be in the stadium for the late Darryl Kile’s first home win as a Cardinal.
That damaged memory, that lost story, that silenced gasp is what makes baseball’s steroid mess worse, perhaps, than the Black Sox throwing the 1919 World Series, certainly worse than any boardroom conflict between players and owners that cost us a few big-league games one year or another. Gambling is — once discovered — an overt crime, and the penalties in place are of the sort that repeat offense is well nigh impossible. Just ask Pete Rose. And the labor disputes? As long as there is money to be made, teams to support, the sides will come to grips with their differences.
Which brings us back to the cancer of steroids. The game of baseball is nothing without the relationship between team and fan — dissected further, the relationship between player and fan. Once in uniform, a ballplayer represents a child’s dream fulfilled. When he strikes out, a fan feels his emptiness. And when he connects for a four-bagger to win a game in October, the chills spread like static electricity. But take a slice at the metaphorical tie that binds in this relationship — and like any other relationship, the player-fan one begins with trust — and it’s emptiness that lingers, strikeout or home run, win or lose.
To this point, there are exactly two (former) players who have been outspoken about using steroids to boost their playing career, and one has since died. Jose Canseco and the late Ken Caminiti are pariahs now, but may paradoxically turn into pioneers if their whistle-blowing can somehow rid baseball of this deadly, cheating chemical. It will likely be years (not weeks or a few months as Barry Bonds is hoping) before a big-leaguer hits a home run without the question, “Is he or isn’t he?,” following him around the bases. This is new territory for the baseball purists among us. Just how long will it take before we can love again?
While we at The Flyer do enjoy poking fun from time to time at our colleagues at the local daily, we rarely if ever find cause to question their sanity. Or common sense. But this week gave us pause. Someone has to call the community’s attention to an egregious breach of journalistic protocol (or worse) on the front page of today’s [Monday’s] Commercial Appeal, and it might as well be us….
As regular CA readers may have observed, the paper’s lead article was a profile entitled [sic] “A Medal of Honor first — Iraq war.” Written by Eric B. Cramer, the story details the heroism of Army Sgt. Paul R. Smith of Tampa, FL, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on the second anniversary of his death in combat in Iraq.
Far be it from us to do or say anything that detracts from Sgt. Smith’s sacrifice on behalf of his country; we do not intend to demean his valor. But this particular “news” story on the CA front page was not independent news at all; as the byline clearly indicates, the article was in fact generated by the Army News Service, part of the U.S. Army Public Affairs office.
In other words: Monday’s lead CA story was actually written by someone who was paid for his efforts by the U.S. government, and whose reportorial output was clearly monitored by army officials, part of an organization whose Web site (www.4.army.mil) mission statement includes a reference to “(helping) to establish the conditions that lead to confidence in America’s Army.”
Are we the only ones in town troubled by this? Since when does a credible daily newspaper accept official government “reporting” verbatim, under any circumstances?
The good news here is that The Commercial Appeal isn’t blurring the line between independent journalism and government propaganda; it’s eliminating that line altogether. It’s one thing to run, occasionally, as the CA and many of its peers do, press releases masquerading as news in the back of the paper; it’s another thing altogether to get your lead story directly from the U.S. Army Public Affairs Office.
Literally a mountain of misinformation has emanated from that office in recent times, most notably the Private Jessica Lynch fable, a propaganda monstrosity that will go into the history books as one of the most disgraceful instances of deliberate media distortion in American history. In light of all this, the CA’s decision to lead Monday’s paper with a story from the same source is beyond unfathomable; it’s an embarassment to all serious journalists in our community.
Categories
sunday, 3
Kids and parents can find out about the college-admission process at today’s National College Fair at the Mid-South Coliseum, 1-4 p.m. The Grizzlies take on the L.A. Lakers at the FedExForum, 7 p.m. U of M musicologist and musician David Evans will perform at the Old Millington Winery.
GLEESOME THREESOME– At the center of most of the action in Saturday night’s Gridiron show, Where’s Willie?, at the Al Chymia Shrine Temple were these gifted cabaret players: (l to r) Terry Reeves, here playing the Grizzlies’ Pau Casol; James Harvey, doing his annual turn as Mayor Willie Herenton; and Dare Pugh as ambitious city council member Carol Chumney. Harvey, who recently finished an impressive second in a state Senate race, may be a mayoral candidate for real in 2007, but first he intends to run for the county commission. Pugh has no known political ambitions, but the character she played certainly does, and the lalvish attention Chumney got in Saturday night’s annual satirical review, for better or for worse, amounted to a de facto launch of her own 2007 mayoral run. Proceeds from this year’s event went, as usual, to fund journalism scholarships. (Longer review to follow.)
Categories
saturday, 2
The Buckman Center Dance Series presents the contemporary dance of Ron K. Brown/Evidence at the Buckman Performing and Fine Arts Center tonight at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The April 4th Foundation, formed to create programs and events in memory of the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, is recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, beginning with workshops today at 1:30 p.m. at LeMoyne-Owen College; a symposium will be held Sunday at the downtown Marriott, and an awards banquet follows Sunday at the Cook Convention Center (April4thFoundation.org). Local rockers This Is Goodbye play the Skate Park of Memphis. Soul Enforcers are at Precious Cargo.
Categories
LOEFFEL ON GAYS AND THROWING STONES
Did Shelby County Commissioner Marilyn Loeffel advocate the stoning of gays and lesbians during her Friday morning talk radio program on KWAM 990 AM? Some of her listeners certainly thought so, to judge by the resulting calls to the Flyer, to the station itself, and presumably to other news outlets.
Asked about all the fuss, Loeffel, who represents Cordova on the commission, explained things this way: “We got a call from someone who called herself as a ‘bi- racial lesbian.’ I think she was thinking, ‘Let’s throw a little race in there. too.'”
During her radio program the commissioner, who describes herself as a conservative Christian, alluded to an Associated Press story about Christians, Jews, and Muslims joining together to prevent a proposed gay pride festival in Israel. She commented on the article saying, “We’ve finally found one issue that they [the three faiths] can all agree on.”
According to Loeffel her producer said, off-mike, “Let them [the gays] have the festival and you can stone them all at once.” Loeffel says she repeated his line on the air for her listeners but followed it up saying, “But we can’t do that. The Bible says ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’ “
In a subsequent interview she made a point of adding, “And I’m not about to pick up the first stone.”
Loeffel explains that the producer’s comments reminded her of a story often told about and by the late Ed McAteer, founder of the Religious Roundtable — a story which she repeated on the air: “He [McAteer] was crossing the street in D.C. with this man from the Middle East, and there were two transvestites crossing the street at the same time. So he [McAteer] asked,’ ‘what would you do to those people in your country?,’ and the other man said, ‘We would stone them.'”
The commissioner says she once again followed up with the caveat: ‘But we can’t do that because Jesus teaches let he who is without sin…” And so forth.
Loeffel says that she would never advocate harming gays and that she is concerned enough to have consulted with a gay constituent to make sure her broadcast would not be misunderstood in the GLBT (Gay-Lesbian-Bi-Transsexual) community.
Categories
Gourmand
After months of renovation, Miss Cordelia’s Grocery in Harbor Town is ready to reveal a whole new look.
Developer Henry Turley first opened the neighborhood grocery store and deli in 1998 to service the rapidly growing residential community on Mud Island. He named the store after his mother, Cordelia Jones Turley, who died March 26 at age 93.
The expansion, which began in November 2004, will nearly double the size of the store from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet.
“The neighborhood led the expansion because we wanted to offer a more full-service grocery,” says Henry’s wife, Lynne Turley. “In the last five years, the island has increased 10 percent a year.”
The most notable use of the extra space is “Cordelia’s Table,” an eat-in dining area where customers can enjoy sandwiches, fresh-baked breads, or some of the new items from the deli’s expanded menu. Cordelia’s Table also offers selected breakfast items.
“It gives our customers a place to mix and mingle, because Cordelia’s is really a meeting place for the community,” says Lynne. “It also gives us a place to offer more services such as wine tastings and cooking demonstrations.”
With added lighting, brighter colors, and improved displays, the store offers a more inviting décor. And thanks to the new wine and beer permit, customers can sit down and enjoy a glass of wine or a frosty cold one with friends and neighbors.
By mid-April, the store will offer a new check-out area and an on-site butcher shop with a wider selection of fresh meats and seafood and imported cheeses. Plans for May include remodeling the porch to create a farmer’s market with an expanded selection of locally grown produce.
Miss Cordelia’s also offers products grown or produced in the Mid-South, such as Delta Grind grits and cornmeal, Dinstuhl’s candies, Café Francisco coffee, and Robert Hodum Honey.
Miss Cordelia’s, 737 Harbor Bend Rd., 526-4772
The goal of the staff at Geeker’s Gourmet Coffee Bar isn’t just to provide a good cup of joe but also to support the artistic community. From those just getting started to established local performers, everyone is welcome on stage at this coffeehouse that opened February 28th in High Point Terrace.
Tuesday nights are open-mic, and Wednesdays are set aside for poetry. Just call 323-3339 to schedule a performance. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are for live music.
On April 2nd, Rick Murphy of the local band B Generation will do a solo acoustic performance. Also in the lineup for upcoming weeks are Michael Kerr, Paige Thorton, Joe Sanders, and Kim Richardson.
A musician himself, Geeker’s owner Ben Wolfe wanted to create an environment where college kids can use their laptops for a study session or kick back and enjoy a little artistic expression.
“I want to help support local artists, not only musicians,” Wolfe says.
The painted pottery of Mark Ramirez, whose work is heavily influenced by trips to Mexico and Spain, is on display, and the coffeehouse’s warm yellow and cherry walls are adorned with black-and-white photography by Becky House.
When it comes to food, there’s the usual coffee-house fare — coffee drinks, pastries, and smoothies — but Geeker’s also offers sandwiches and soups. As the weather warms, Wolfe plans to add outdoor seating and hopes to host a few block parties.
Though Wolfe resides near Shelby Forest, he says he chose the High Point Terrace location because “it’s a cool area. It’s like its own little Mayberry. Everybody’s real supportive of the neighborhood business.”
Geeker’s Gourmet Coffee Bar, 477 High Point Terrace, Suite 1, 323-3339
Throughout the month of April, indulging ice cream cravings at any Cold Stone Creamery will help Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The proceeds from Wish Stars, which customers can purchase for $1, will be donated to the local chapter of the organization.
The celebration culminates with the “Ice Cream Cake Social” on April 25th from 5 to 8 p.m. During this fourth annual event, customers who makes a donation to Make-A-Wish will receive a free slice of ice cream cake created especially for the organization. Last year the national event raised more than $600,000. n
Categories
Hypocrisy 101
Texas representative Tom DeLay began the month of March besieged by charges of corruption and ethics violations. In the past, “The Hammer” had weathered such storms by scurrying back into the toolshed — avoiding press coverage and public appearances and using surrogates to deflect the accusations.
Not this time. Instead, DeLay sought out media attention, assuming a highly visible role as Congress politicized the tragic case of Terri Schiavo and intervened in the family’s end-of-life decision. Now, as public attention shifts away from Schiavo, DeLay’s political calculations seem to have backfired. In recent weeks, as many Americans were introduced to DeLay for the first time, the House leader has been exposed as the very picture of political opportunism and hypocrisy.
DeLay leveled some of the most extreme and inappropriate charges regarding the Schiavo case. He described the removal of Schiavo’s feeding tube as an “act of medical terrorism,” demagogued Schiavo’s husband Michael on the floor of the House of Representatives, and said to a group of Christian conservatives that “God has brought [Terri Schiavo] to us … to help elevate the visibility of what is going on in America,” referring to “attacks against the conservative movement, against me and against many others.”
But despite all this bombastic rhetoric, it appears DeLay’s involvement in the case was tied to politics, not principle. According to a search of LexisNexis, the first article mentioning both DeLay and Schiavo appeared on March 11th. The first documents mentioning Schiavo on DeLay’s Web site were published March 18th.
Now, in the face of legal setbacks and of polls that show overwhelming disapproval of congressional intervention, as well as a perception among the public that lawmakers were motivated by politics, DeLay has once again slipped out of the spotlight.
Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times revealed that DeLay personally endured an end-of-life crisis similar to the Schiavo case. In 1988, DeLay’s 65-year-old father Charles was seriously injured during a freak tram accident at the family’s home in Canyon Lake, Texas. His injuries left the DeLay patriarch suspended in a coma and doctors advising “that he would ‘basically be a vegetable,'” according to the congressman’s aunt, JoAnne DeLay. After several weeks, as Charles Delay’s organs began to fail, his family confronted the dreaded choice so many other Americans have faced: to make heroic efforts or to let the end come. And, in a decision that belies his bellicose rhetoric of recent weeks, Tom DeLay joined the family consensus to let his father die.
As the last straw of hypocrisy, the Times detailed how DeLay’s family later filed suit against two companies responsible for a machine part that the family said had caused the accident. The case was resolved in 1993 with a payment from the companies of about $250,000, compensation for the dead father’s “physical pain and suffering” and the mother’s grief and loss of companionship, among other things.
“Three years later,” the Times noted, “DeLay cosponsored a bill specifically designed to override state laws on product liability such as the one cited in his family’s lawsuit.” Despite the benefits for his family, DeLay has taken a leading role promoting tort reform. He condemns trial lawyers who “get fat off the pain” of plaintiffs with “frivolous, parasitic lawsuits” that raise insurance premiums and “kill jobs.” n
This article first appeared in The Progress Report.
We join the family and many friends of Cordelia Turley in mourning her death last week at the age of 93. Mrs. Turley was the mother of Henry Turley, chairman of the board of Contemporary Media, Inc. (the Flyer‘s parent company), and his younger brother Calvin. Her grandchildren include our former colleague Alex Turley. Mrs. Turley was the namesake for Miss Cordelia’s grocery store in Harbor Town on Mud Island, but old friends knew her by the equally Southern but less formal “Cudelia.” At her memorial service Monday at St. John’s United Methodist Church, Dr. Scott Morris noted that she was one of those unique personalities known by a single name.
Morris, who was both her pastor and physician in recent years, recalled her as “a Southern lady” and “the very definition of a steel magnolia.” She and her late sister Martha were rocks of St. John’s for some 80 years, rarely living more than five miles away and staying put during the white flight of the Sixties and Seventies. On her 90th birthday celebration at Miss Cordelia’s, she was serenaded by no less than five of her preachers. As Morris noted, it was quite a tribute that the sanctuary was filled to overflowing Monday.
Mrs. Turley loved her family and friends, her church, good manners, and a good time. She died the day before Easter. Her spirit will live in the old walled garden behind her home in Central Gardens, where the last of six cedars stands over a brick pathway through a well-kept garden of red camelias and white azaleas, now breaking into bloom. n