Huh?

Every crime has elements that must be met in order for the accused to be convicted. First degree murder, for instance, is the intentional killing of a human being with premeditation, and burglary is the breaking and entering of a place with the intent to steal.

If all the elements of a crime can’t be proven, the accused is innocent of that crime. It doesn’t always work out the way it should, but proving the elements of a crime is where it begins.

A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, so an accused person has only allegedly committed a crime until such time as convicted. Ethical journalists always say “allegedly” or add some other caveat to indicate there has been no conviction.

The general public doesn’t need a trial and isn’t bound by journalistic ethics. A good rumor is enough to touch off a lynching in the comments section of a newspaper or in what we call the blogosphere.

Most people have always been up for a good public lynching; it’s just easier now.

Take the case of Rod R. Blagojevich, the governor of Illinois. He was arrested and charged with federal crimes involving mail fraud and soliciting and accepting bribes -- generally reported under the heading of “corruption.”

As of this writing, at least 51 Democrats in the United States Senate and President-elect Obama have made the assumption that Blagojevich is guilty and should resign. At least two of the 51 -- Obama and Harry Reed the Senate Majority Leader -- are lawyers and should know better.

If those 51 Democrats and most of the people of the United States were depending on the shame factor to end the situation quickly, they were wrong. Either Blagojevich has no shame or he really doesn’t think he is guilty. In fact he proceeded to appoint a new U.S. Senator, which was his legal prerogative.

Now there really is a mess. Roland Burris, the man appointed by Blagojevich says he will take his seat -- given him by a legal appointment -- in the Senate, and 51 Democrats find themselves in opposition to the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois, and who, by all reports, is a good man.

Gee whiz, who would have ever thunk there could have been so much trouble caused by ignoring the presumption of innocence in the United states of America?

For what it’s worth (and it’s not worth much), I think Blagojevich is probably guilty as sin, but I wouldn’t say it in print. Jackleg journalist that I am, the editors with whom I’ve worked for nearly 20 years, taught me to be very clear that a crime is only alleged and not proven until there has been a trial and a conviction. (More coomentary at David Hunter In His Own Write)

Sean Braisted:

Just got off the phone with Sen. Berke, and he is exploring the possibility of running for Governor, and going through the logistics to see if a run is feasible.

With McMillan, that makes two definite maybes. Still waiting for Lincoln Davis to weigh in.

Knox County Commission recently voted unanimously to instruct MPC that it was the sense of the Commission that landscape businesses were an inappropriate use for Agricultual zoning.

Nevertheless, MPC went to BZA and once again was told about the vote of the Commission. Now it is hanging its hat on misreading some words said there, and proceeding with an amendment to the Knox County Zoning Ordinance to add landscape businesses as a use permitted on review in the Agricultural zone.

MPC will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, at 5:30pm in the Small Assembly room of the City County Bldg. It will specifically address this matter, and its normal agenda meeting in advance of its January 8th meeting, 1:30pm, City-County Bldg. Main Assembly Room.

I trust those who care about this matter, and about respecting the expressed will of elected bodies, will show up at the Tuesday meeting.

--Mark Harmon, County Commissioner, District 2

TVA has replaced their website's front page with an emergency response update page. The current Jan. 4th update has contact and outreach info for area residents and the latest results of coordinated TVA, EPA, and TDEC air and water testing with links to detailed reports.

There are also weekly "incident action plan" documents which summarize the equipment and personnel, where they are deployed, and what they are tasked with doing.

The current plan for 1/2-1/9 lists more than 160 pieces of heavy equipment including cranes, bulldozers, track hoes, dump trucks, barges, skimmers, booms, command trailers, etc. plus a helicopter. It also lists more than 250 personnel, including seven personnel assigned to air quality testing and 13 assigned to water quality testing.

There's also a site and area security plan, four medical aid stations for workers, and worker safety plans with emergency contact info.

While the executives are at press conferences talking about the disaster, we sometimes tend to overlook the fact that there are hundreds of hard-working TVA employees and contractors up there working to clean up the mess, some of them in harms way.

It's also a reminder that large-scale cleanups don't happen overnight, no matter how many resources you have (or don't have) to throw at the problem.

They told us Obama is a socialist who would RAISE OUR TAXES!

That's Liberadio(!)'s assessment, in this rundown of possible candidates.

Could be, but Frist dropping out is a gift to Democrats if they can cobble together a state party organization (as opposed to a Nashville cotillion) and muster up a credible candidate in quick order.

RELATED: The view from Memphis.

PREVIOUSLY: Haslam definitely running: Bill Frist won the Davidson GOP straw poll, racking up 59% v. Bill Haslam's 5%. Marsha Blackburn came in second with 25%. Zack Wamp scored a big fat zero.

AND: First clue.

UPDATE: The KNS reports that Haslam has retained Lamar Alexander's former campaign coordinator.

RELATED: Katie Allison Granju says Haslam is like Obama, except in a "Tennessee-friendly package."

On August 13, 2008 I had announced that I was going to run in the upcoming election for City Council. However, due to several conversations with various people and groups in the community I have decided not to run in the upcoming city elections. I will be making an announcement within the next few weeks as to what my intentions will be.

I have dedicated my life to serve the people of this great region and I will continue to do so. I have been very active assisting all that have contacted me in any way I could and I will continue to do so.

My decision to not seek a seat on the City Council is a decision that I feel is best for the people at this time and the announcement that will be forthcoming shortly, will clarify any questions that anyone will have.

I thank those that do support me and I am hoping that after the announcement is made, you will continue to support me as well as many others.

Happy New Year to all and I will be speaking out shortly!

Chuck Williams

First Obama cabinet casualty.

The Flypaper Theory: Every Vote Counts

Coleman: -225

I am actually going to start taping The O'Reilly Factor just so I can see the look on his face when he has to say the words "Senator Al Franken."

A friend found several old South High Band programs and made me copies. Here are a few.

The first one isn't dated, but I'm guessing it's around 1963. Mr. Blackwelder was still the band director at South and the area elementary schools. He taught lots of us South Knoxville kids music. I took private lessons from him, and he was a great teacher and an excellent trumpet player who could play most if not all of the Arban's Book.

If you don't know someone listed on these programs, you ain't from South Knoxville.

P.S. I recall that Russell Ramsey, listed as South High's drum major in the ca. 1963 program, went on to become the drum major for the U.T. Pride of the Southland Band.

NewsComa and company have launched NewsTechZilla, a resource for journalists trying to survive in the world of online publishing.

Michaels Silence talks about it in his Sunday News Sentinel column.

RELATED: Katie Allison Granju's account of launching a newsroom blog.

The Chattanoogan reports a "high Republican source*" as saying Bill Frist has decided not to run for governor, opening the field for Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Third District U.S. Congressman Zach Wamp to duke it out in a Republican primary. According to the article, Wamp will announce on Monday.

A.C. Kleinheider has an interesting analysis of Frist's decision. Apparently it involves a clever strategy of running for president by not running for president or anything else.

(*The Chattanoogan does not say what the Republican source was high on. Heh.)

UPDATE: And as Betty Bean notes in comments, don't forget Rep. Marsha Blackburn from the 7th.

UPDATE: It's official.

RELATED: Metro Pulse

There will be a one-hour breakfast meeting at Pilot Corp. headquarters next Wednesday (Jan. 7) where about 100 guests will hear a status report on Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam’s plans to run for governor in 2010.

Speaking of pie and nutrition, Blue Cross Blue Shield of TN put out a newsletter with some info on watching sugar in your diet.

According to this helpful chart, jelly, pumpkin pie and milkshakes defy all known laws of nutrition and physics.

I'll let you do the math. Hint: A teaspoon of sugar has 4 grams of carbohydrates (basically pure carb) and 16 calories. There are approx. 6 teaspoons in an ounce.

NYTimes.com

Spikes in blood sugar can take a toll on memory by affecting the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain within the hippocampus that helps form memories, a new study reports.

Researchers said the effects can be seen even when levels of blood sugar, or glucose, are only moderately elevated, a finding that may help explain normal age-related cognitive decline, since glucose regulation worsens with age.

Other research suggests that physical exercise can offset the effects.

Interesting, ultilizes GPS.

The Yahoo News article....
Link...

They say this, but ....

Another concern is that such devices could threaten privacy. Whitty said he and his task force have assured people that the program does not track detailed movement and that driving history is not stored and cannot be accessed by law enforcement agencies.

Congress is talking about it, too. A congressional commission has envisioned a system similar to the prototype Oregon tested in 2006-2007.

The landscape is changing. It isn't our responsibility to keep road building industry in high cash flow like they have been accustomed.

Mass transit, telecommuting, teleconferencing, things like Second Life, etc will likely continue to evolve. Go on a road diet. Removing lanes, etc would diminish the need for maintenance funding. I suspect they are approaching this from the wrong end.

Since we drove over 100 billion less miles in the last year. Maybe we can adapt current highway lanes into mass transit routes. Then would not have to secure right of way or do as much excavating for rail. A huge part of the cost.

Link...

From Nashville is Talking:

Well, I'm telling you what to believe. You believe what these people down here are telling you to believe because I'm seeing the data just like everybody else is.

That's the head of Roane Co. Emergency Management, who says special interest groups with agendas are spreading bad information. Go read NiT's full report on today's command center briefing.

See also: KNS: Officials say drinking water safe

Actually, I believe that treated municipal water supplies should be safe, assuming there's dilution from stream flows and that the normal filtration systems aren't overwhelmed by too much junk in the water (although I'm no scientist so don't take my word for it).

But from what I gather, the testing is being done at the intake. I haven't seen any tap water test results from the affected area. (And I don't know anyone who would drink untreated water from Watts Bar or any other Tennessee River impoundment in the past forty years or so.)

Would one of these do the job if a resident were concerned? Maybe TVA should buy one for all the affected residents until more is known.

See also: My Grandson became sick yesterday...

Joe Powell credits bloggers, environmental activists, and affected residents with pushing this story onto the front page and into the national media spotlight.

Michael Silence says not so fast. While acknowledging a joint effort between mainstream media and bloggers, he says the KNS is "driving the bus."

I'm not so sure about that. The KNS is certainly on the bus doing some outstanding reporting, and it's apparent that they are the only area news operation with the resources and experienced reporters to do the in-depth coverage that's needed.

But my impression is that they were a little slow out of the gate and a little hesitant to call TVA out on the facts.

Katie has some Facebook status update predictions for 2009, including one very unlikely one.

Jack Lail has the top 2008 referrers for his personal site and for the Knoxville News Sentinel. It got me curious about KnoxViews, so here are ours for 2008:

Top 20 referrers:

1. knoxnews.com
2. instapundit.com
3. funhouserock.com (Knox Blab)
4. knoxvilletalks.com
5. twitter.com
6. blountviews.com
7. roaneviews.com
8. tennviews.com
9. saysuncle.com
10. gpstracklog.typepad.com
11. bloglines.com
12. politics.nashvillepost.com
13. jimfletcherphotography.com
14. cupofjoepowell.blogspot.com
15. terryfrank.net
16. brianarner.com
17. nashvilleistalking.com
18. katieallisongranju.com
19. musiccitybloggers.com
20. wbir.com

Some other statistics that may be of interest after the jump...

As more facts emerge regarding the impact of the Swan Pond disaster, it’s becoming clear that the cleanup will take years and cost millions upon millions of dollars. The rivers will eventually heal themselves, but the homes, farms, and land will forever have a big question mark hanging over them.

A Knoxviews Wordle - courtesy of wordle.net

"Although these results are preliminary, we want to release them because of the public health concern and because we believe the TVA and EPA aren't being candid," said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chair of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Link...

Have you ever spent any time in South Knoxville/Seymour? It is indeed a different kind of place. Those of us who have spent a lot of time South of the river do enjoy proclaiming the differences of SoKno as compared to the rest of Knoxville/Knox County.

Many residents are familiar with the South Knox - Seymour Times newspaper. It is truly a local newspaper with lots of local color. Not being a current resident of SoKno, I don't get the opportunity to pick up a paper. Today I elected to check out the on-line version.

Well, I had many a smile and several chuckles reading the contributions of Kitty VanDuser.

Praise the Lord, and that’ll be $239. She goes to register a car at the Knox County Clerk's office and is a little confused by the bible and religious magazines in the waiting area.

I noticed a table in the waiting area. It held a potted plant, local business coupon books, a daily newspaper, a few magazines, and a Bible. That’s right. A Bible in the waiting area of a local government office. Specifically, a King James Version, occupying the spot of honor, up front and center.

The Free State Of Greater Seymour. If Knoxville/Knox County want to go metro government, then VanDuser supports a South Knox - Succession.

"South Knox Seymour will have its own militia. We might as well recognize it and try to regulate it, because we’re going to have it anyway. We’ve had it for generations.

Happy New Year. Like many of you, we had a house full of company. One of them was my sister in law. This is where I need your help. Your perspective and opinion is needed and valued.

She made some comments about being interested in moving to Knoxville. She would like to be closer to family and have a lower cost of living. She is currently in Denver. I would love to have her close by, but I don't want to appear pushy selling the benefits of Knoxville.

She was concerned where to live because she has only been exposed to West Knoxville. Suburbs are not for her. She currently lives in a cottage style home in a socio/economical diverse neighborhood. She would like to be in a hip, affordable area that has a strong singles population, and not just 20 something singles. She works for a non-profit and would like to pursue some options in that field. She also likes the outdoors. I haven't shared much about all the places she can go within an hour from here and other things to do. Again, not wanting to appear pushy. I think Knoxville could offer a great lifestyle.

What neighborhoods would you suggest? What can I tell her about being in your 30/40's and single in Knoxville? What about working for non-profits here? Who is good to work for? What happenings/events around town can you share with her?

I thought I would just have her read your comments. Thanks everyone.

Only until the end of an error...

When you thought there was no more left to amaze us in the year of our Lord 2008.

We are amazed one more time.

Vandy..VANDY..beats Boston College 16-14 in the Music City Bowl.Vandy finishes 7-6 for their first winning season since 1982 & their first bowl win since December 31,1955.

Holy pigskin Batman I need whiskey.Vandy done better than my beloved Vols on the gridiron!

My New Years plea to the Vol 11..we got to do better than Vandy in '09.

Happy New Year!!

Once again, this clan will watch the ball drop from our family room sofa tonight, so supper's gonna be continuous finger foods.

This recipe is a favorite, especially with the kids, but what else shall we add to tonight's spread?

Baked Pizza Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning (or substitute oregano and/or basil)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. pizza or spaghetti sauce
1/3 c. chopped pepperoni, optional
Wheat Thins or other crackers

Beat cream cheese and seasonings together until blended. Spread onto bottom or 9-inch quiche pan or pie plate. Layer 4 oz. (1 c.) shredded mozzarella, then 1/2 c. sauce, over cream cheese blend. Add remaining 4 oz. shredded mozzarella on top. Sprinkle with 1/3 c. chopped pepperoni, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot, with crackers.

From the NS.

n A public meeting to discuss concepts for development of the controversial Midway Business Park in East Knox County will be Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. at Carter High School, 210 N. Carter School Road.

Area residents have filed suit to block development of the park on about 378 acres along Thorn Grove Pike near Interstate 40.

Link...

The real estate/developer folks can't take a hint. Can someone lay out a simple explanation of who makes money on this thing?

Is it public record who owns any options on the land?

Incidentally, nice job by Mark Harmon as temp BZA chair. Too bad it is not permanent position. Betty Bean does it again on informative reporting.

Link...

Every once in a while, you get that storm of similar events that make you wonder if the universe is trying to send you a message or teach you a universal truth.

It all started earlier this week with my company's phone service provider (I shouldn't say the name, but it starts with a "D" and ends with an "Eltacom"). I entered into a three year contract with them and signed up for a 'three year rate.' Over the three years, that 'three year rate' has gone up 50% to 60% (the terms and conditions that allowed them to do this was buried on their web site). We hope to move offices in April, to a location with Knology service, at half what we're paying now. I called the phone provider to see about extending on a month to month after the 3-year term ends in March. They said their only option was to extend for another three years, or have the service disconnected. What's more, if I failed to notify them in writing by a certain date of my intent, I would be automatically signed up for another three years! Again, all buried in their terms and conditions.

The next day, our freezer went out, barely five years old. My mother's basement freezer is still going strong at 30 years+. We all know electronics and appliances are made to last just beyond the warranty period, so as not to decrease future sales. The idea of making something to last will get you booted out of the boardroom and moved to the mailroom, pronto.

All of these things are minor, of course, compared to predatory mortgages, payday loans, the Madoff scandal, TVA denying the health hazards in their ash and coal tailings. But it begs the question:

Exactly how much of our economy is based on the concept of screwing the next guy?

What are the implications to our total economy?