Leapin’ Lizards

Some want to make this day all about frogs. Well, reptiles deserve attention too (and don’t forget jumping spiders, cervals, and other things that leap — including lovers).

What were you doing last Leap Day? I’ll tell you where I was: with the wife, who was pregnant with the boy, having a splendid day meandering around the medieval town of St-Paul-de-Vence, France (in the hills northwest of Nice, on the Côte d’Azur). I know it was Leap Day because one of the town’s many resident artists, a gifted (to my eye) painter named Joëlle Lalagüe, autographed a poster for us and dated it “29.02.04.”

The view from the southern end of the ancient town, which is where Lalagüe’s studio sits, is breathtaking. The cemetery (which, by the way, holds the remains of one Marc Chagall) is the foreground as one stands on the old wall. The surrounding foothills of the Maritime Alps demurely recede until one can see glimpses of the shimmering Mediterranean in the distance.

I highly recommend this region of the world, even though some parts of it can be excessively tourist-laden. There is, after all, a long list of reasons for that.

Eight years ago? I guess I was at work; I don’t remember doing anything particularly amazing that Tuesday. In 1996, I was freezing in Michigan while attending grad school.

How are you celebrating Leap Day?

Bark at the moon

If the clouds would just hurry up and move out of the way, I’d go out and try to catch some of the lunar eclipse that’s been scheduled for tonight.

Hats Off to (George) Parker!

In the evening, on April 23, 2008, Chattanoogans will have the opportunity to witness one of the least expected yet most appropriate musical collaborations in recent history.

Allison Krauss, who not too long ago graced the stage of Memorial Auditorium with Jerry Douglas and Tony Rice (marking the umpteenth time I’ve missed a chance to see Tony Rice live), is on tour this Spring with legendary Led Zeppelin frontman (and solo artist in his own right) Robert Plant.

The two are promoting their album Raising Sand, which is the latest by producer T-Bone Burnett.

Let me take you to the movies, but on a different day. I want to see you at the show. (Full disclosure: I won’t be able to go.) Robert Plant in Chattanooga. That’s the way it ought’a be.

Tastes just like Chick…anooga

After reading this post by Southern Beale, I couldn’t help wondering if Chattanooga was headed for (or perhaps already in) a similar real estate predicament.

What do you think? Are condos outnumbering sensible buyers yet? (Include Stringer’s Ridge and yet-undeveloped North Shore locales in your answer.)

Freudian typo?

A letter to the editor contains a telling misspelling: while discussing the case of Hamilton County’s recently-made-former sheriff, writer Andy Whitwell soberly reminds us that law enforcement departments are treated to too little inspection by the public, and that as a result, corruption is allowed to fester. I could not but smile at this part, though:

Perhaps it is because we have created a monster by not understanding the negative effects on a person of giving them a gun, a badge, and unlimited authority as well as blind trust.

Nationwide it has become evident that for the good of the department and society as well, we should keep a more vigilante eye on their behavior. You can do an officer no greater injustice than to turn him loose on society with absolutely no oversight.

I can just see it now: neighborhood posses taking the law into their own hands, going after no-good cops.

“Yes We Can” the song

Via 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera; and Nashville for the 21st Century; and Newscoma:

Another link

UPDATE: Welcome, citizens of Brazil, Italy, and everywhere else in the world coming to this page. Obrigado e grazie.

What are they teaching kids these days?

I know it’s probably annoying when bloggers write about the search terms that lead visitors to their sites, but sometimes perusing the logs can reveal astonishing things about ourselves.

I got a hit yesterday afternoon because someone in Gaithersburg, Maryland typed the following into a Google search box:

should students be subjected to the bill of rights

Subjected to? In what way? As in, learning about the first ten constitutional amendments? If so, the answer is a hearty “Yes.”

But even more disturbing: does the person not realize that the Bill of Rights describes ways that we (including students) avoid being subjected to something? A monarch has subjects; the United States of America was created as an antithesis to that idea.

All right, I know I’m making all kinds of assumptions about the purpose and motive of the internet search in question. But it really stood out.

A name for February 5

I’m a little bored with “Super Duper,” “Mega,” and other outsized modifiers for the day when parties in so many states hold their primary contests. I am here to suggest a new name for that day.

With all apologies to Jagger (or Jones) and Richards, I hereby dub February 5, 2008 “Goodbye Rudy Tuesday.”

This post is not intended to be construed as an anti-endorsement of any candidate, but is for entertainment purposes only. Not paid for by the McCain for President campaign.

Quote of the day, yesterday

“[I]t’s starting to look like Fox News has a political agenda.”

– Stephen Gordon, Ron Paul supporter, writing at Third Party Watch on the fact that the cable news outlet displayed a trio of photos: of the first-, third-, and fourth-place finishers in the Nevada GOP caucus, obviously skipping over (however distant) runner-up Ron Paul. (Emphasis added.)

In the graphic (available at the above link), the lower-right corner does show the candidates’ last names in order (at the time), but Mike Huckabee’s appearance in the pictorial lineup is puzzling, to say the least.

I’m glad people like Stephen are starting to notice. The network will never change its ways if the only people calling them out are doing so from the left.

On the other hand, the display was put up when fewer than one percent of precinct results were in. I’m skeptically willing to give producers the benefit of the doubt and hypothesize that when the top display was assembled, it’s possible that the order of candidates was correct, and that Paul’s 48 delegates showed up after Huckabee’s 26, and the lower-right ranking was assembled later. But that’s a stretch, you have to admit.

Hint: his name’s not on the dollar

I found this funny story involving mistaken identity in the halls of power on the blog Cato-at-liberty:

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur [(D-Ohio)] came to a House committee hearing on Thursday prepared to ask U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson tough questions about his involvement in the subprime mortgage crisis.

Unfortunately, she was questioning the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

The Ohio Democrat, at a House of Representatives Budget Committee hearing, said she wanted to know what Wall Street firms were responsible for the securitization of subprime mortgages.

She then asked: “Seeing as how you were the former CEO of Goldman Sachs…” But the only person testifying at the hearing interrupted.

“No, no, no, you’re confusing me with the Treasury Secretary,” said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

“I’ve got the wrong firm? Paulson, Oh, OK. Where were you sir?” Kaptur said.

Bernanke noted that he was head of the Princeton University economics department.

I myself do not recall ever having seen either Bernanke or Paulson on television or in photos, so I’m not above Congresswoman Kaptur. Perhaps, like me, she gets her news via the National Public Radio and blogs. Regardless, it had to have been an embarrassing moment. It’s always good to double-check the agenda and invite list when heading to a meeting.