Categories
Month: December 2009
Categories
Chips for Vols Fans
I spotted these University of Tennessee-riffic Zapp’s Voluntators chips at Ike’s.
There’s a picture of Smokey on the bag, and my heart raced at the idea that they might be dog-flavored! Alas, they’re Zapp’s “Regular” flavor, though there’s nothing to complain about that.
Proceeds from the chip sales, according to the bag, go to “scholarships, athletics, and general funding of the university.”
Ike’s has them on sale for 2 for $3.
- Kelsey; White
With returns in both special-election races unofficially complete, Republican Brian Kelsey amassed a decisive 75 percent to 25 percent victory in the District 31 state Senate special election.
In the contested Republican primary for state House District 83, Mark White defeated John Pellicciotti by an unofficial margin of 1,857 votes to Pellicciotti’s 1556 votes. with Michael Porter trailing in the 4 percent range.
Kelsey and his supporters claimed victory, with Kelsey making this statement:
“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the people in the state Senate. I’m grateful for every single person who took the time to go vote for me. I think people responded to our message of fiscal responsibility.
”
State senator-elect Kelsey congratulated opponent Pakis-Gillon for her effort with these words:
“She was very gracious in conceding the race. I appreciate the opportunity to get to run against her.”
Republic state chairman Chris Devaney in Nashville has this to say:
“Brian has already demonstrated his ability to effectively lead and legislate on behalf of his constituents,” said Devaney. “During his time in the State House, Brian was a leader in the fight for ethics reform and worked tirelessly to protect taxpayers’ dollars.
“Brian’s experience in the State House will serve him well as he takes on this new role of public service in the State Senate. I’d like to congratulate him on tonight’s election results and I look forward to seeing him continue his service for the state of Tennessee.”
Pakis-Gillon meanwhile conceded defeat. She released this statement:
“I ran this race for all the people of this wonderful district, and for the people of the great state of Tennessee, to make sure they had a chance to have their voice heard. The people have chosen a different voice, and I wish Senator-Elect Kelsey the best for his year in Nashville.
“All of us will stay involved in the quest to better the community we love. The neighbors that I have talked to throughout the district want the focus to stay on the community, building jobs and a better place for all of us to live and raise our families. I am hopeful and optimistic that newly elected Senator Kelsey will do just that. This district is becoming more diverse, as are the needs of the citizens of the district.
“I am extremely proud of the campaign we have run. The volunteers who have given their time these past couple of months have given me and the people of District 31 an invaluable gift. They have shown determination, caring, and a desire to continually improve the community in which they live. For that I want to thank all of them and all of my supporters. We came up short today, and it’s tough to take. But I assure you that we will stay active and we will stay involved. Thank you all.”
White’s victory in the District 83 Republican primary means that he will match up in a January 12th general election with Democrat Guthrie Castle, who was unopposed in his primary, and independent John Andreucetti.
Categories
NCAA Says UM “Took a Risk” With Rose
The NCAA came down hard on Derrick Rose and the University of Memphis in its response to the university’s appeal of NCAA sanctions involving Rose.
“As for whether Rose himself ‘knew or had reason to know’ of the ineligibility, unfortunately we cannot be certain, but only because of Rose’s failure to cooperate in the investigation. Surely the university cannot insulate itself completely from the consequences of the conduct either. Even though the university’s efforts to get Rose to cooperate were commendable, his conduct still hindered the investigation considerably,” according to the NCAA Committee on Infractions report released this week by the university.
The response notes that the committee chose not to impose a ban on postseason play or a scholarship reduction, but stripped the 2008 men’s basketball team of its 38 wins and tournament revenues instead. If those penalties are set aside on appeal, the committee will request an opportunity “to reassess the penalties.”
In other words, if the UM wants to rumble, the committee on infractions is ready. Sheri Lipman, legal counsel for the university, said UM will have a response on Monday. It will be directed to Infractions Appeals Committee, which is different from the Committee on Infractions.
Categories
The Politics of Speed-bumps
Mary Cashiola reports on a City Council proposal to allow neighborhoods to buy their own speed-bumps.
Categories
A Bump in the Road
The Memphis City Council wants the administration to consider letting affluent neighborhoods pay for their own traffic calming devices, if the street qualifies.
This morning, during the council’s CIP budget committee, council members learned citizens have requested street humps for roughly 250 streets. The current policy does not let individual groups pay for them, even if they want to do so.
“We looked at it from a fairness [standpoint],” said Wain Gaskins, director of the city’s engineering division. “There are some affluent areas that could pay for their traffic calming devices, but we have a lot of other areas that aren’t as affluent but are just as deserving.
“We thought it would be appropriate not to let people buy their way into the program.”
The policy is created by the administration, but traditionally changes have been approved by the council.
Categories
Bands On Tour
Just last night, Jay Reatard wrapped up his mini-tour with the Pixies. Starting today, he’ll steamroll his way down the East Coast with dates in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Texas then take a two-week break before hitting Milwaukee on New Year’s Eve.
While in Belgium last month, Reatard managed to find time to film a solo acoustic performance of “Nightmares” and “Fading All Away,” above.
Meanwhile, Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers and John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives wrap up their coast-to-coast tour with stops in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Omaha later this week.
And after spending Thanksgiving here in Memphis, Lucero revs back up for a southern run that includes gigs in Little Rock, Oxford, Birmingham, and Jackson.
Categories
Bianca Knows Best …
Dear Bianca,
After several years of skipping out on my family’s Thanksgiving dinner, I finally decided to make the five-hour drive to my tiny hometown in Mississippi. Big mistake. My mom’s always been kind of crazy, and I’ve learned to accept that. But it’s much easier to accept when she’s hours away. When I arrived at my parents’ home, she greeted me by stumbling out of the house, martini glass in hand at three in the afternoon!
She stayed drunk throughout the weekend, and that would have been fine if she’d stayed in the house. But since I was home, she insisted on calling all my old high school friends and inviting them over to see me. A group of them dropped by and my mom not only talked their ears off, she also fell over several times and at one point, took her top off. Yep, my 60-year-old mother walked around the house in her underwear in front of my old high school friends.
Talk about being mortified! Alcohol treatment isn’t really an option, as she’s been through (and dropped out of) rehab numerous times. My dad doesn’t seem to mind, and I don’t have to deal with her on a daily basis. But this weekend’s incident makes me never want to go home again, and my parents are kind of expecting me for Christmas now. Should I just disown my mother?
— The Sane Son
Dear Sane Son,
Your mom’s behavior does sound obnoxious, and I’m sure its pretty embarrassing for you. But how did your old high school buds react? It’s easy to feel embarrassed by our relatives, but trust me when I say that other people aren’t judging them as harshly as you are.
Try to see your loved ones through a stranger’s eyes. What if your mom belonged one of your friends? Would you still find her behavior mortifying? If you think she might be amusing — or at least, tolerable — as someone else’s mother, maybe you should try to accept her as she is. If her behavior is so bad that you think she’d be an embarrassment to anyone, then you should encourage her to seek help — again.
If your mom isn’t willing to enter treatment (or even if she is), you and your father should consider attending Al-Anon meetings. Al-Anon offers support and counseling for family members of problem drinkers. They can offer excellent advice on how to deal with your mother. For a list of local Al-Anon meetings, check out the Memphis Al-Anon website.
Got a problem? E-mail Bianca at bphillips@memphisflyer.com.