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Month: May 2011
It looks like Representative Stacey Campfield’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill has rubbed off on Old Navy. The retail giant releases rainbow-lettered “Love Proudly” and rainbow flag shirts in 26 stores, but the shirts won’t be sold in Tennessee.
They’re also not available online, so Tennessee equality advocates would have to drive to Atlanta, Chicago, or Dallas to purchase one at an Old Navy store. An online petition was launched to encourage the company to sell the gay pride shirts in stores in all 50 states.
“I haven’t filed yet, but I plan to.” With those words, texted to the Flyer on Tuesday, Memphis City Schools board member Tomeka Hart confirmed persistent recent rumors that she intended to challenge 9th District congressman Steve Cohen in the 2012 Democratic primary.
Cohen himself had taken note of the likelihood during an interview earlier this month in Washington. At the time he had not identified his prospective opponent by name, except to say that he expected organized opposition and that his challenger would be a well-known African-American woman.
That definition certainly fits Hart, the executive director of the Memphis Urban League and, with fellow MCS board member Martavius Jones, the leader in last year’s vote to surrender the MCS charter, thereby setting in motion the pending merger of MCS with Shelby County Schools.
“It’s all set,” Cohen said, indicating that his then unnamed opponent would be drawing on sources of support similar to those which had opposed him in his previous congressional races in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
“They’re going to try to revive the idea of a ‘consensus black candidate,’” predicted Cohen, who said that was the tack taken in such campaigns as those of independent Jake Ford in 2006 and Democratic candidates Nikki Tinker and Willie Herenton in 2008 and 2010, respectively. All these challenges fell significantly short, the last two being on the short end of 4 to 1 outcomes.
“It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now,” the congressman said confidently. “My track record is clear, that I have faithfully represented the African-American community, and the results show that the voters know that.”
Hart, a lawyer, was elected to the MCS Board in 2004, defeating longtime incumbent Hubon “Dutch” Sandridge. She served as the Board President from January 2008-June 2009.
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Hot Pink Cauliflower
Like I said, hot pink — though it started out as purple cauliflower.
This is Cauliflower Ceviche, a recipe I was intrigued by from the moment I saw it on the Clandestino website.
The cauliflower turned pink immediately upon hitting the lime juice. As for the taste … most notably it’s tart, and I will say that a little bit goes a long way.
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Snake Attack!
Bruce VanWyngarden witnessed first-hand the scaly horrors Diane Sawyer warned us about.
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Snakes in the Grass
At the height of all the flooding a couple weeks ago, ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer rather famously came to town to stand in waders at the foot of Beale Street and report on all the dramatic developments (or create some, take your choice). Chief among the horrors cited by Sawyer were the impending snake attacks, as the “highly poisonous” reptiles made their way into our homes and bedrooms while fleeing from the flood.
I don’t recall having read about any attacks in the past couple of weeks, so maybe we dodged the bullet. I did have occasion this past weekend to head into the woods to try and fish a couple of local lakes. Evidence of flooding was everywhere, most notably in the dead, brown undergrowth in the woods above the lakes, which normally this time of year would have been thick and difficult to walk through. My friend and I caught a few fish — crappies, bream, and a nice bass or three. The mosquitoes were thick, as I suspect they will be all summer, the result of all that standing water. But I’m happy to report that we were not attacked by snakes, even though I nearly walked into this little guy:
He (or she) is a common grass snake. He was wrapped around a branch in a small bush at about my eye level. I took many photos, but resisted the impulse to grab him by the tail and yell, “Crikey.” He was unafraid and very docile, hanging around for several minutes before finally making his getaway:
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13 Assassins is Satisfying
Chris Herrington says the samurai flick, 13 Assassins, is brutally satisfying.
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Odessa Struggling
Broad Street arts venue Odessa is having trouble paying its bills. Andrew Caldwell has the story.
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Tiger Trivia Tuesday
For Tiger basketball fans, it’s manna from heaven. Pending final details, it appears Memphis will play arch-rival Louisville on the hardwood next season, the first meeting between the Tigers and Cardinals since the epic Conference USA championship game (The Darius Washington Game) on March 12, 2005. The teams’ next meeting will end the longest drought in a series that began on January 6, 1949.
The Tigers and Cardinals spent 10 seasons as members of Conference USA, playing a total of 16 games over that span. How many did Memphis win?
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wanda jackson
