The Daily Docket

Digital Antenna TV Station List - Memphis, TN

2012-03-03T14:15:00.000-06:00

This post will be updated soon after changes occur. Don't just go by the date of the post. I forget to republish it sometimes. Enjoy. Channel Name Description Picture 3.1 WREG DT CBS 16x9 3.2 WREG DT2 News/Weather 24/ 7 4x3 3.3 WREG DT3 Antenna: old series & movies 4x3 5.1 WMC DT NBC 16x9 5.2 WMC DT2

Memphis F(l)yer Starter

2012-02-27T17:14:00.000-06:00

I have finally found the highest and best use for a local, widely available free paper source. First, find a free kindling rack with this logo on it: Inside you'll find a stack of some tabloids that look something like this: Grab a handful of those and take them home. Then take one of them, open it up, separate the individual sheets out, crumple each one into the smallest possible wad you can

I Cancelled All Comcast TV Service!

2012-01-16T18:59:00.000-06:00

I unsubscribed from Comcast's new version of Limited Basic being phased in after January 24, 2012. Here's why: Armed with its FCC waiver to use their Digital-To-Analog set top boxes (whoops, I think they want us to call them "Digital Transport Adapters," still DTA though, right ;-), I believe they will finally shrink what was visible with your HDTV's QAM tuner down to: (1) the legally-mandated

Merry Christmas, Readers!

2011-12-25T01:24:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas 2011 to my worldwide readers!

Bona Saturnalia!

2011-12-17T12:42:00.000-06:00

Saturnalia? What's that? Well, it's the Roman festival that Christmas was superimposed on, but without the parthenogenesis claims. More information here.

MeTV Replaces RTV (Retro) in Memphis

2011-11-20T17:59:00.001-06:00

WLMT-DT, The CW network affiliate in Memphis broadcasting at 30.1, has just dumped RTV, aka Retro TV, formerly broadcast on WLMT DT2, its digital subchannel at 30.2, in favor of another old series-type programming service, MeTV. Get more info by clicking the links above. Probably because of the result or lack of results in retransmission consent negotiations (if entered into) between Comcast

Lee Harris Defeats Kemba Ford for Memphis City Council District 7

2011-11-10T20:58:00.000-06:00

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Co-sponsors Federal Marijuana Decriminalization!

2011-06-23T19:59:00.009-05:00

Click on the picture to start the video on the C-SPAN site. Memphis' Fox television affiliate has the AP story on their website: "Cohen Supports Marijuana Legislation." Click here.

Boycott the Commercial Appeal Pay Wall

2011-06-22T13:41:00.004-05:00

I haven't linked to or shared a New York Times link since they fired up their pay wall; and I haven't linked to anything on the Memphis Commercial Appeal website since "Carpetbagger Chris" (Peck, editor-in-chief) announced his out-of-town-owned corporation's maximum-profit-driven rag's website pay wall that is even stricter than the Times'. Yes, I sometimes click a shortened URL and wind up on

Kemp Conrad's Budget Plan

2011-06-06T15:31:00.007-05:00

(I was privileged to receive an email from Memphis City Councilman Kemp Conrad. I post it here in its entirety. I like most everything about this plan. I encourage Memphis voters to read it and then in turn encourage your Councilpersons to vote for Conrad's plan.) Dear fellow Memphian: Due to the lack of the political will over the last ten years for reform, the decision to cut school funding

Farrakhan warns, advises Obama on Libya

2011-03-20T21:33:00.003-05:00

Hell of a video. Thinking black people are moving past that "Obama represents me no matter what" support that has enabled him in this warmongering shit. YouTube took the original video down for bogus reasons. It's been put back up, but if it gets censored again, go to this page for an alternative source.

Impeach Barack Obama

2011-03-19T17:06:00.001-05:00

Obama attacked another sovereign country today without a Congressional declaration of war. That is clearly an impeachable offense. There is no reason for long, drawn-out hearings. The votes are there in the Republican-majority House of Representatives to vote an impeachment resolution. The Senate may not convict, but it will be a good thing for my country anyway. It will likely save American

Ron Paul: Libyan No-Fly Zone Is Unconstitutional

2011-03-18T18:21:00.000-05:00

Clear QAM-tunable Digital TV Channels on Memphis Comcast Basic Cable

2011-01-26T16:46:00.023-06:00

UPDATE: This will be my last update to this post, mid-January 2012, since I unsubscribed from Comcast's new version of Limited Basic being phased in after January 24, 2012. Here's why: Armed with its FCC waiver to use their Digital-To-Analog set top boxes (whoops, I think they want us to call them "Digital Transport Adapters," still DTA though, right ;-), I believe they will finally shrink what

Memphis Comcast Price Increase

2011-01-17T15:15:00.001-06:00

(This is a letter I just wrote and sent off to City officials and the news media. Let's see if it does any good. I will update this post one way or the other.) (UPDATED to recount how I bought my own cable modem instead of leasing Comcast's.) I just got an email notice of my bill for January's Comcast Basic Cable and Performance Internet, and I saw a total increase of 6.9% over my bill for

Wharton v. Norris: Showdown in Ho Town

2011-01-13T10:17:00.000-06:00

The Vote - Memphis City Schools Charter Surrender 01/12/11 from Mayor Wharton on Vimeo.

New Year's Eve Good Lovin'

2010-12-31T15:20:00.007-06:00

Repost. Why tamper with perfection? Well, because some asshole scrubbed last year's Rascals video, so I've plugged in an alternate. Here's a great tune to kick off New Year's Eve for you, the Young Rascals doing their megahit version of The Olympics' original, "Good Lovin'": You can listen to the Rascals' 45rpm version here; and you can see the Olympics themselves doing the song on the 60's TV

Foxy Jacky's Domestic Violence Case Dismissed & Expunged

2010-12-08T21:08:00.000-06:00

This is too involved for a mere obscure update to a post of mine that is still popular all over the world: Foxy Jacky Link Dump. It seems that Foxy Jacquelyn McKee has split up with her husband (note that I did not say "porn pimp") and objected when he came to take some objects out of their marital home. Here's the officer's description of the incident (click graphic to enlarge): I have done

Behind the Headlines

2010-09-11T09:22:00.059-05:00

Here’s info on this week’s panelists and topics. Panelists: Jackson Baker, Senior Editor of The Memphis Flyer Bill Dries, Senior Reporter for The Daily News Amos Maki, City Hall reporter for The Commercial Appeal Les Smith, Reporter for FOX13 News Topics: This week’s Behind the Headlines will present a discussion of Mayor Luttrell as he faces some harsh budget cuts, plus Rep Curry Todd

Graven Images

2010-09-09T21:15:00.004-05:00

[I'm bumping this February 2006 post of mine back up to the top of my blog because of its renewed relevance to the Koran burning uproar.] Religious and culture clash caused by the Danish cartoons made me think about why Abrahamic monotheism prohibits images of its god and -- in its Islamic branch -- its principal prophet, Muhammad. Let's take it from the top, so to speak: Exodus 20 (King James

Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter Discusses His Paid Leave Proposal

2010-08-06T23:15:00.007-05:00

(The Daily Docket is honored to have the single most interesting Shelby County (TN) Commissioner, Mike Carpenter, present some thoughts on his proposal to make changes in County employees' paid leave. I have posted his piece in full. Thank you, Mike.) Americans, beyond just the Tea Party movement, seem to be making their voices heard on the issues of taxes and spending. Just ask your

Steve Cohen Speaks Against War in Afghanistan

2010-07-02T17:14:00.001-05:00

This is the Congressman Steve Cohen we need, as individuals, families, a district, and a nation.

Souter's Address at Harvard Commencement

2010-05-28T13:52:00.000-05:00

David H. Souter on American values and Constitutional law from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Memphis Music in the Movies

2010-05-27T15:43:00.010-05:00

I remembered this amusing scene from the Academy Award-nominated film Munich and tried to tell Teenie (Hodges) and Hubbie (Mitchell) about it; but I didn't track it down until last week, in a series of clips containing the whole movie posted on YouTube. I showed it to Hubbie over here before he left for NYC to rehearse for the Cyndi Lauper tour, and he said, "Oh yeah, we're getting paid something

Sorrowful Sunday: Little Johnny Taylor - "Part Time Love"

2010-05-23T20:06:00.003-05:00

He is frequently confused with his contemporary and near namesake Johnnie Taylor, especially since the latter made a cover version of the song that Little Johnny Taylor was most famous for, "Part Time Love" (1963), and the fact that both men began their careers as gospel singers. --Wikipedia

You need a "Boyfriend"!

2010-05-23T19:45:00.000-05:00

The Female Brain

2010-05-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

In her book, "The Female Brain," [neuropsychiatrist] Dr. Louann Brizendine explains how the female brain works, what women are thinking, and the difference in the way they process thoughts compared with the way men do. For instance, a woman uses about 20,000 words a day while a man uses about 7,000. I guess "Chatty Cathy" isn't just a stereotype after all. Seriously, I found the first chapter

Federal Judge Rules "National Day of Prayer" Law Unconstitutional

2010-05-05T23:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the decision, right here. Instructive reading, not terribly long. Obama has announced on Twitter he's going to issue a National Day of Prayer proclamation anyway, which he could have refused to do based on the District Court's ruling, even though the Judge also ruled her injunction against the law would not become effective until exhaustion of the appeals process or expiration of time to

Cinco de Mayo CGI

2010-05-05T11:56:00.000-05:00

This is a gorgeous commercial I saw on TV. Ran across the video a moment ago. Enjoy! “And Then There Was Salsa” from Frito Lay Dips on Vimeo.

Ice Age Columbus - Who Were the First Americans?

2010-04-07T20:24:00.001-05:00

I thought this program was one of the most well-done of its kind I've ever seen. You can watch the whole program in 10-minute chunks on YouTube. Get started here and save the link for when you have time.

Older Men Want Sex More Than Older Women Do

2010-04-07T20:19:00.002-05:00

From the "What have I been telling you all along?" department comes this new study from the University of Chicago published in the British Medical Journal: 67% of men ages 65 to 74 said they had been sexually active in the past year, compared with just 40% of women in that age group. Everyone knows young men think constantly about sex, but many guys remain interested in sex until they are almost

The Cougar Video

2010-04-07T20:04:00.002-05:00

I think this video is hilarious, but seriously, what those young guys are getting, I'm not getting!

Political Spectrum Quiz

2010-04-07T19:45:00.002-05:00

Click below to take an interesting online quiz giving one answer to where you rate on two political spectra. Here are my results:My Political ViewsI am a center-right social libertarianRight: 2.48, Libertarian: 4.28Political Spectrum QuizMy Foreign Policy ViewsScore: -9.7Political Spectrum QuizMy Culture War StanceScore: -2.11Political Spectrum QuizOn the site, you can compare your results with

Samuel Adams Noble Pils

2010-04-07T19:12:00.001-05:00

Yes, this stuff is good, kinda grassy but worth buying. It's a seasonal, though, so go get it while you can find it.

How Long Will You Live?

2010-04-07T18:56:00.004-05:00

I'm clearing some interesting saved links out for my readers. This calculator is explained in "Your body wasn’t built to last: a lesson from human mortality rates." Slide the pointer to the next age higher than your current age to see your odds of living until then.

Psychedelic Saturday - Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well"

2010-04-03T12:20:00.001-05:00

Just because I'm in the mood: Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac doing the hippie hit, "Oh Well", featuring the couplet, "Don't ask me what I think of you, I might NOT give the answer that you want me to."

Cheech & Chong RIGHT; Narcs and Legislators WRONG

2010-03-31T00:24:00.000-05:00

I'll mainly let these two counter-culture heroes speak for themselves and the Baby Boomers, but here's my prediction: medical marijuana will be legalized everywhere; and once it gets NORML-ized, pure decriminalization and/or legalization (with taxation) will follow. Watch CBS News Videos Online

Who Controls the Disposition of a Body in Tennessee?

2010-03-31T00:03:00.002-05:00

All Tennessee residents or people who have a close relative in Tennessee should be aware of a very interesting recent decision of the Tennessee Supreme Court in response to an inquiry from a federal District Court, Linda F. Seals v. H & F, Inc. et al.Here's what you need to know:Until our General Assembly provides more explicit guidance on the subject, we adopt the following order of priority as

AC Wharton, Blogger (sort of)

2010-03-23T21:38:00.001-05:00

http://mayoracwharton.wordpress.com/UPDATE: Well, AC Wharton isn't exactly a blogger. In fact, I'm starting to see AC's "communication" shape up as ONE-WAY: he tells you what time it is, but unless you're a danger to what he wants to do, he doesn't respond to what YOU think about it. He's got comment moderation going on on his "blog"; but I can get around that sh...stuff somewhat this way, for

Natalie Portman in Closer

2010-03-22T22:38:00.001-05:00

I don't know much about movies; mainly I know if they hold my interest. I recorded 2004-5's Closer off IFC and finally got around to watching it. I was impressed. I fired up my PC and found out the two actors in this scene got Oscar nominations and won Golden Globes under Mike Nichols' direction. This particular scene (my favorite) is all over the Internet. Great minds.... Sony nuked the clip

Congressman Steve Cohen on Felons' Voting Rights

2010-03-22T20:19:00.001-05:00

Steve has never wavered on this issue. I think I would have used the term "Ex-Felons" or "Former Felons", although I think some states even allow people in prison to vote.Steve seems to be hitting his stride as a Member of Congress.

Attack Ads Using CGI

2010-03-21T14:42:00.001-05:00

Jees, these are a trip! This one's against Meg Whitman, eBay billionaire, running for California Governor as a Republican. H/T New York Times.Does anyone reading know what tools are used to make these?

Alex Chilton Dead in New Orleans at 59

2010-03-18T01:35:00.001-05:00

I knew Alex from high school and have been trying to listen to all his non-Box Tops stuff the last few weeks for the first time in my life, which makes this strange for me. Read about it in the Memphis Commerial Appeal and in Rolling Stone. Read a good history of Alex's career in Wikipedia. UPDATE: Alex Chilton's life in New Orleans was a mystery, and that's how the Big Star singer wanted

Using Blogger's New Template Designer

2010-03-11T15:23:00.002-06:00

There are so few people using 800x600 anymore that I decided to take advantage of the advent of Blogger's new Template Designer feature to make quick work of the resize.I think this will fill a 1024x768 screen, but I'm 1440x900 now, so I don't know.Feel free to comment on the changes.

Michael R. McCusker: Campaign Update

2010-02-24T16:58:00.002-06:00

Original of this statement is on Mike's Facebook pages here. Copied to this blog with his permission.Campaign UpdateMon at 10:18pmOn Sunday, February 14th, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester informed me that he would endorse the decision of the Shelby County Democratic Executive Committee to deny me the right to run on the Democratic Primary ballot on May 4th because of my mixed

War Is a Racket

2010-02-18T17:28:00.000-06:00

The link below will take you to the short piece written by the recipient of two Congressional Medals of Honor, (Marine) Major General Smedley Butler, which he titled "War Is a Racket." When do we stop squandering our country's wealth because dipshit leaders are afraid of being called cowards?

FGF: Sam the Sham, "Ring Dang Doo"

2010-02-12T00:01:00.003-06:00

I nominate myself to kick off Feel Good Friday with two versions of a followup release to my one-time roommate Sam the Sham's super hit "Wooly Bully": that being "Ring Dang Doo." Enjoy! Wow, I mean...Sam got on Ed Sullivan in the mid-60's...you know, like the Beatles?

How to Disable Floating Flash Ads

2010-01-30T01:12:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: The Memphis Commercial Appeal is at it again with the huge, groady, floating Flash ads, so for the second time I'm recycling this post from the last time they pulled this crap: Aggravated by those floating Flash ads that so obnoxiously get in your way when trying to read indispensable websites? Especially the ones that move to keep their close boxes hidden and take forever to time out?

Willie Mitchell RIP

2010-01-05T13:14:00.004-06:00

UPDATE: Willie Mitchell passed on this morning at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis. What a personal trip it was for me to have his name come up on my caller ID, even if it was really his stepson Hubbie (Archie Turner), who lived with him, calling.Those of you interested in the music recording arts may want to read a halfway decent piece on the man who recorded all the best stuff on Al

Wintermute Does Christmas

2009-12-22T00:01:00.002-06:00

Keith Olbermann's Awesome Piece on Health Care Reform

2009-12-17T13:02:00.002-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Is Global Warming Mostly Herd Thinking?

2009-12-08T15:41:00.003-06:00

When I get a whiff of herd mentality (imagine what that smells like, if you will), then I listen to contradictory evidence. John Stossel has earned a presumption of honesty and respectability, hasn't he?

Wintermute's Christmas Wish List

2009-11-28T20:37:00.000-06:00

I wish Santa would bring me one of these: Or one of these:But I guess I haven't been a good enough boy, so I'll probably have to settle for one of these:

Let's Turkey Trot

2009-11-26T10:18:00.017-06:00

"Let's Turkey Trot" recycled a dance from the early 1900's that eventually gave way to the Fox Trot. Read the lyrics here. The background singers' refrain Shoo-shoo gobble-gobble diddle-ip reminds me of J. Geils Band's later hook in "Freeze Frame" Shoot, shoot, doo-dloo-dloo Listen and see if you agree. I hung out a bit with Peter Wolf in Boston and Cambridge in the late 60's and even

Memphis Police Helicopter with Infrared

2009-11-07T22:09:00.002-06:00

Check out this piece of police work using an infrared video camera aboard a Memphis Police helicopter. This suspect stabbed the police dog a dozen times before being apprehended. This video is fascinating in a chilling sort of way.UPDATE: Late last night, via the The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal:A Criminal Court jury, after deliberating for more than five hours, convicted Kenneth Hayes of

Pirates 2: Stagnetti's Revenge Trailer

2009-11-07T22:00:00.024-06:00

Billed as "the biggest adult production in history," this recently caught my eye (18 and over only): Launch in external player

Scary Saturday: I Walk On Guilded Splinters - Dr. John

2009-10-31T00:01:00.042-05:00

For this Halloween Saturday night, there can only be one tune, this deep voodoo dirge; and I present it in its brilliant, originally recorded version, although there is an amateur video of Dr. John doing it live on YouTube. Trust me, though, just click this link for the song, and close your eyes.... Dr. John - I Walk On Gilded Splinters .mp3 Found at bee mp3 search engine Listen for one

FGF: Loup Garou Bal Goula - Willy de Ville

2009-10-30T15:25:00.001-05:00

For the Friday the day before Halloween, I figured I would do best if I just let the cauldron bubble enough. Loup Garou is Cajun French for werewolf. I thought Mink DeVille was pretty cool back when.

FGF: O.V. Wright - Memphis Soul Singer

2009-10-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

I don't do too many aggregator posts, but I'm making an exception for this awesome posted article that embeds most of O.V. Wright's important recordings. Go there and click on the first play arrow, and you'll get the whole program. If you want even to pretend to know about Memphis soul music, you need to know about O.V. Wright. Here's the link.

FGF: The Girl From Ipanema

2009-10-15T23:22:00.007-05:00

An antidote to poltical cynicism the day after we elected a new Mayor of Memphis:One of the greatest hits that ever will be.

2012 Movie Trailer: OMG

2009-10-05T14:58:00.001-05:00

Now watch it full screen HD.

Feminization of Human Males

2009-09-17T00:04:00.001-05:00

Catching up on blogging saved links. Check this one out: a cross-cultural parallel to what's been going on lickety-split since Glam Rock shoved itself down your MTV channel.Japan's 'herbivore men' -- less interested in sex, moneyFukasawa said Japanese men from the baby boomer generation were typically aggressive and proactive when it came to romance and sex. But as a result of growing up during

What Is Twitter?

2009-09-16T15:41:00.001-05:00

Cigarette Girl: the Movie

2009-09-16T14:38:00.010-05:00

This post is overdue, but still on time. The hype I saw was good enough to pull your jaded Wintermute into this Cigarette Girl movie trip. Before I subject you to the seductive imagery that sucked me in, I want to slip in a couple of comments (please don't even click any of my links just yet). Although the post-modern era of Everyman-an-artist has produced a lot of crap all over the map, it

Wintermute Endorses in Memphis Mayoral Contest

2009-09-13T19:37:00.009-05:00

Like all of you, I have pondered the offerings of the candidates in the special election to choose a new Mayor for Memphis.I have not dug to find out what every one of the 25 candidates left in the race after the withdrawal deadline wants to do if elected. In my defense, it is their job to get their message out in ways effective to reach any voter in the city who reads, watches television, or

Billy Lee Riley, RIP

2009-08-02T12:38:00.017-05:00

From The Official Rockabilly Hall of Fame¨: "Billy Lee Riley ... one of the greatest original Sun Recordings artists, peacefully passed away on Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 at 5:20 am. His family was at his bedside. Funeral arrangements are pending." Read the rest at the link. There is already a star-studded memorial show planned in Newport, Arkansas on August 30. It's a two-hour drive from

There Are Already Too Many Catholics on the Supreme Court

2009-07-13T21:59:00.002-05:00

From the Washington Times:If confirmed for the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor would be the sixth Catholic to sit on a bench that, before the current crop of justices, had featured only six Catholics in its entire history.I have been talking about this for years now. Only about 25% of Americans identify themselves as Catholic; but 5 Justices out of 9 is a 55%

"I was just following orders."

2009-07-12T17:42:00.001-05:00

The New York Times reported yesterday: The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.What is strange about

Blacks as Conservative as Republicans on Some Moral Issues

2009-07-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

Blacks as Conservative as Republicans on Some Moral Issues: "Only 31% of black Democrats in America say homosexual relations are morally acceptable, roughly the same as the 30% of Republicans who agree, while very much different from the 61% of nonblack Democrats who say homosexual relations are morally acceptable."Trying out the Blogger accelerator in IE8.I keep trying to tell Memphis "

Hotmail Goes POP3: The Vista Windows Mail Workaround

2009-07-11T20:02:00.001-05:00

I was grandfathered in to accessing Hotmail via HTTP mail, but when I bought a new computer with Vista, I couldn't add my Hotmail account to Windows Mail. Microsoft announced recently that it has opened Hotmail to POP3 access by email programs and posted instructions for adding Hotmail accounts to Outlook Express on this page. However, I couldn't get it to work with Windows Mail. I came to

Baby Boomer Animation

2009-07-11T19:40:00.008-05:00

Cleaning out some saved links, I found this funny Flash I think my mama sent me (until Newsday gets its server issues and Adobe Flash Player certificate problems fixed, I'm having to use an improvised link for the old one that went bad when Newsday changed servers):Click here to see the animation full size.Here is the link to pull the animation up on the great Walt Handelsman's page on

Claire Robinson, New Food Network Chef from Memphis

2009-07-11T16:44:00.002-05:00

I got curious about the new TV chef on Food Network and found that Claire Robinson is from Memphis and used to work at Maggie's Pharm, (website) (recent news story), which has been selling oils, herbs, teas, and such in Overton Square since the 80's. Here's a link to her Food Network bio and a link to the video introducing her to cooking show watchers. Good luck, Claire!

FGF -- The Fibonaccis

2009-07-10T14:33:00.006-05:00

Here in Memphis we need a Feel Good Friday badly this week, so let me nudge my cohorts with this very unusual number. I was in bed watching this goofy movie Android with Klaus Kinski and fell asleep in the middle of it. I figured that out after I was awakened by a very strange instrumental that was made even stranger by hearing in a half-sleep state. It turned out to be the closing theme over

Wintermute Judges the International Blues Challenge

2009-07-07T01:15:00.003-05:00

The call went out early this year for volunteers to judge the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in February. I hadn't done any judging since the Memphis Blues Society's preliminary competition a few years ago, so I signed up. I enjoyed being one of the three who judged one of the two nights at the Hard Rock Cafe venue on Beale Street, despite having to sit in a non-cushioned chair for

Artesian Well Digging on the Memphis Greenline

2009-07-06T21:39:00.002-05:00

More pictures that stayed in my cell phone until I could transfer them without paying Verizon. I mean, I bought the phone, I'm not leasing it; but they disabled some features in the phone (Motorola E815) before they sold it to me (or had Motorola do it before shipping), like being able to transfer multimedia to/from my PC through USB, Motorola Phone Tools, and the cable that came with it. I had

Rock Hard with Jimi Jamison

2009-06-24T20:25:00.002-05:00

The players, L-R: John Roth, Greg Morrow, Jimi Jamison, Tommy Cathey, and Hal McCormack.

Steve Cohen Votes for Supplemental War Funding

2009-06-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

Conyers didn't. Kucinich didn't. Cohen did.

Laddie Hutcherson & the Guilloteens

2009-06-02T14:17:00.013-05:00

I am tracking down a rumor I hope is not true. For now, enjoy a piece of Memphis music history, a video of "I Don't Believe":That'd be Laddie on bass (the guitar with only 4 tuners, OK, the blonde guy).Click here for audio only but the whole record.The B side, live on TV, Laddie on guitar and doing the lip sync this time:This being what I'm steeling up for: 64 is too young to die in this day and

Was Bruno Telling Eminem Rap Sucks?

2009-06-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

Bruno drops in on Eminem at MTV Awardsby ITN

Steve Cohen Confronts FBI on Marijuana Prohibition

2009-05-23T13:34:00.002-05:00

This is the Steve Cohen I worked so long and hard for to represent us. H/T: Jackson Baker

Reorganize Memphis in May

2009-05-21T22:24:00.002-05:00

I guess leaving incendiary comments on the vaunted Commercial Appeal website is not enough, so let me repeat myself here:The Memphis In May organization needs to take the last weekend event away from the archaic Memphis Symphony and its almost entirely local and cheap-ticket patrons, and give it to the much larger, tourism-beneficial, and lucrative Beale Street Music Festival, which suffers from

Memphis Real Time Crime Center

2009-05-21T21:59:00.004-05:00

I can't get so used to my good friend John Harvey's excellence that I fail to give credit where it's due. Here's the latest swag John brought home to the city (click to make it huge):Here's a pic he sent me that I've been saving that I bet he thought I deep-sixed, of him and his co-conspirators (again, click to make huge):What is this Real Time Crime Center, you say? Click here to see the public

Matriarchy Sucks

2009-05-21T20:51:00.002-05:00

It's time to revisit my awesome post, "The Tragedy of Bastardy." A local blogger kept telling me I could have written a book titled The Garbage Generation. I took the time to read it in its entirety online, and he was right: I endorse 90+% of the book.Those of you who think "feminism" is a 100% good...you need to read the book.Those who wonder why women outvote men in the United states by a

Sacrilege Meets MY Standards

2009-05-21T19:43:00.005-05:00

I could hardly believe the cowardice of the management at Memphis' TV stations WMC and WPTY in refusing to air, for pay, this tame and actually silly advertisement for a local radio station's morning show. Yes, I lifted it off Rock 103's site. Yes, it took some skill and a third-party tool to do it. Yes, I will take it down if Clear Channel asks. But I don't think they will, because -- unlike

A Brief History of Weed

2009-05-21T17:18:00.001-05:00

Nanny State: The Book

2009-05-21T02:56:00.000-05:00

Now there's a book that exposes the Nanny Staters. See the description on Amazon. The author has a snazzy blog too.

OK, Then Surcharge the Fatsos Next

2009-05-17T17:04:00.001-05:00

Tennessee has turned into such a nanny state. State employees are facing a $600 surcharge that goes into effect next year for everyone in the employee health system who smokes or is married to a smoker. State officials hope the surcharge will provide an incentive for employee smokers to quit and save Tennessee an estimated $3,400 per worker annually in lost productivity and smoking-related

Will Obama Legalize Pot?

2009-05-17T16:55:00.001-05:00

Admittedly, I'm cleaning out some saved links with this post, but there seems to be some movement toward sanity by the Obama administration on the proven idiocy of euphoriant prohibition. First there was the painful example of Obama's natural caution that began to afflict him once he got on top and started putting staying on top for the maximum eight years as his first priority. That got him

Frightening Friday -- Link Wray's "Rumble"

2009-05-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Scary, menacing, yeah, that's a fair description of the way Link Wray came out of the starting gate playing guitar and looking the way he did. Crank this one up!

Thelonious Thursday

2009-05-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

As perhaps my last alliterative music post title (this one's even digraphically alliterative), I give you a starting point on another "perhaps," perhaps the best composer ever in the jazz idiom, Thelonious Monk. Monk has plenty of videos on YouTube and plenty of full tracks on last.fm. Monk employed a lot more dissonance in his compositions than was common before he came along; and everyone may

From the Mouths of Babes -- Carrie Prejean

2009-05-13T01:03:00.005-05:00

The Donald got it right. I could perhaps have said it better than Miss Cleans Up Really Nice, but I never won any beauty pageants. To be fair to myself, I never entered any. Well wait, my Mom entered me in some at the department stores back when, and I won. And I have pictures. But that was the scam, I'm thinking.Yes, I know about her implants; but I swear, I never saw a cross-dresser, drag

Woeful Wednesday -- Magic Sam

2009-05-13T00:01:00.017-05:00

"Magic Sam" Maghett was another Cobra and Delmark Records alumnus like Junior Wells but died of a heart attack at the fan-cheating age of 32. Sam was unforgettable in his own way. Either reminisce with me or get hip to him for the first time through this post. He was good slow or fast; and some of his numbers will become firmware in your memory banks. There's not much video of Sam, but you

Blue Monday -- Sleepy John Estes

2009-05-11T00:01:00.022-05:00

I was stage manager for the very first Beale Street Music Festival, produced in 1977 by Memphis attorney Irvin Salky. I helped a blind country bluesman up the stairs to the stage for his set by holding his hand, one of a pair of the hugest hands I've ever seen. They belonged to Sleepy John Estes. John was as authentic a country bluesman as any who ever lived and made many records, several of

Stolen Song Saturday -- Going Down

2009-05-09T00:01:00.069-05:00

I use "stolen" in the sense that Otis Redding used it when describing Aretha Franklin's far more successful cover of his "R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Don Nix wrote "Going Down," a guitar player favorite that has been covered over a hundred times by now; and Don fed it to Freddie King when he got hired to produce an album on Freddie, which was certainly Don's right. Frankly, by that time it was anyone's

Johnny Keyes & the Magnificents

2009-05-08T13:57:00.001-05:00

My dear friend Johnny Keyes, lead singer for the Magnificents back when and Packy Axton's co-conspirator during the Stax/Fretone years, called me yesterday. Talking to Johnny, I finally got it straight that one of the tunes on the album he recorded in the 70's (that I had a co-write on) was a cover of the Magnificents' "Up On The Mountain." I had been hearing the refrain "You took my money, and

John Jay Hooker Against Retention Referenda

2009-05-07T19:17:00.003-05:00

I ran across a very good history on this topic written by Richard Locker of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that you can read on your PC or on your mobile device.

Tore Down Tuesday -- Freddie King

2009-05-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

Lee Baker of Moloch couldn't rest until he got Freddie King to Memphis to play the Overton Park Shell. Actually, Lee dreamed of the "Three Kings" show: Albert, B.B., and Freddie on the same bill. He never pulled that off, but Freddie's show at the Shell was one I can remember, despite it being the 60's (or early 70's, same thing). Freddie is probably worshipped most of all for "Hide Away":

Blue Monday -- Sam Chatmon

2009-05-04T00:37:00.001-05:00

I was watching TV one night in Memphis decades ago, and a guitar-playing singer came on the screen doing his rendition of St. Louis Blues (dum...dum...a-deedle-um-dum), and I was just floored. It was Sam Chatmon of the Mississippi Sheiks, the only member to have been captured on film/video. Get right into it here, so you'll know this post and its links are worth reading: Well, that's the real

Filibusters Are Unconstitutional

2009-05-03T18:31:00.005-05:00

Yes, the title is provocative, intentionally, and could be hedged in "ifs," "ands," "buts," and innumerable other qualifiers; but I'll stick with it on this simple ground: nowhere in the United States Constitution is a 60-vote majority required to end debate on a bill. Two-thirds majorities are required only in a few specified instances. Search the Constitution yourself if you don't believe me.

Jane Harman: Traitor?

2009-05-02T22:57:00.006-05:00

I have been suspicious of Congresswoman Jane Harman ever since she failed as a member of the House Intelligence Committee to stand up against Bush administration wiretapping. Now I feel vindicated by the revelation that she was recorded by the NSA in 2005 agreeing to try to get espionage-related charges against two former AIPAC officials reduced.Here's video coverage from Hannity on the matter: