Greene County Records

LINK - County officials are trying to decide how to address a problem with the deterioration of their records in Greene County, Tennessee.

Thanksgiving Story

LINK - This one will bring tears to your eyes! It's about New Orleanians who've now made their home in Iowa.

Archaeology and the Bible

LINK - Prof. Claude Mariottini of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary comments on an exciting archaeological discovery that shows Goliath was a real giant! You wonder why the scoffers scoff when discoveries like this continue to be made.

Carnival of History XX

It's here.

New Tool for Conservatives

LINK - A librarian I know from the Association of Christian Librarians has developed a very useful site for conservative research. I'm quite impressed with his accomplishment!

Nectar Soda

LINK - Over at Emeril's blog, Lorin tells a little about the history of the New Orleans drink Nectar Soda.

David McCullough's 1776

LINK - Mark over at Right-Minded has given a glowing review to David McCullough's book 1776.

Jack the Ripper

LINK - Dick Eastman reports that DNA may be used to solve the case once and for all. Apparently an Australian firm plans to check the saliva that was used to lick the postage stamps sent to police. Dick links to the story in the Australian newspaper. I'm a little curious to know if Patricia Cornwell's theory is correct.

IRS Chocolate Layer Cake 1040

LINK - This is hilarious. (via Conservative Cat)

Barn

Behind the Talbott post office.

Autumn Leaves #9

Behind Talbott post office. I drive by this view every day!

Autumn Leaves #8

Up close!

Autumn Leaves #7

Next to the old Butler-Blanc Gym.

Autumn Leaves #6

Looking down Russell Avenue in Jefferson City.

Autumn Leaves #5

This tree is between the old Butler-Blanc Gym and the art building.

Autumn Leaves #4

Look at all the colors!

Autumn Leaves #3

This tree is beside the Baker Building at Carson-Newman!

Autumn Leaves #2

This tree is right outside my office window!

Autumn Leaves #1

The leaves have just been gorgeous this fall here in East Tennessee. This photo is looking from the Carson-Newman College campus in Jefferson City down George Street.

You May Be from Ohio If . . .

LINK - Hugh Hewitt offers this Foxworthy treasure. As a Tennessee Vol, I can relate to the "orange."

Shull Cemetery Photo

LINK - Marie Freeman over at Blue Ridge Blog has a great photo of the Shull Cemetery. This is one of my favorite photo blogs.

Rosa Parks' Ancestry

LINK - ProGenealogists has placed Rosa Parks' ancestry online. (via Dick Eastman)

Sanders Leaving

I made a prediction the other day that we were going to see some offensive coaching changes for the Vols. Randy Sanders, offensive coordinator, has submitted his resignation as offensive coordinator immediately and as quarterbacks coach at the end of the regular season. Randy has a long history with the Vols. He's been there 22 years total (quarterback, graduate assistant, coach). A lot of folks are speculating that Coach Cutcliffe [Free online registration required] (whom Sanders replaced as offensive coordinator) will return to the position. I, like many others, have mixed feelings about this. It's not really Randy's fault, but then who is to blame? The players themselves have accepted responsibility. I stand by my statement that we need some changes. Our wide receivers have not been getting the job done. Our running backs have been less than spectacular all year. Essentially we have no running game. When we bring a new OC in, perhaps he can address the needs in these areas. I'm not sure that Sanders stepping down was the solution; although I can almost equally say that I'm not sure that it won't solve the problem down the road. I do think that it is unfortunate that it has happened mid-season which leaves us with split offensive play calling duties for the remainder of the season. NOW - that IS NOT the solution. I'd rather see Sanders continue to call the plays than to have this shared thing that is only going to lead to greater confusion on the field.

All I can say now is, "GO VOLS. BEAT THE FIGHTING IRISH."

Homemaking in the Late 19th Century

LINK - The "Headmistress/Zookeeper" over at "The Common Room" has a delightful post about an old book on homemaking which dates to the late 19th century which belonged to her great-grandmother. This one is worth a read.

Most & Least Religious Colleges & Universities

LINK - An interesting post by Leland Meitzler at Genealogy Blog.

It's interesting that a college with the name "Wesleyan" in its name would be on the list of least religious.

Auburn University is probably the most surprising inclusion on the most religious list.

Students Unprepared for College

LINK - "Tall, Dark, and Mysterious" has a very interesting rant about the quality of students colleges are receiving. It is nice to see that the problems we see at the college where I teach are not unique to our situation. There does seem to be an illiteracy problem among some of our "admits."

NYGBS in Financial Trouble?

LINK - Leland Meitzer at Genealogy Blog is reporting that there are rumors that New York Genealogical and Biographical Society is selling its building and moving to a smaller one. No word of what will happen to its research library. I hope it isn't so. This echoes of the problems NGS was having awhile back.

UNC & Slavery

LINK - Dick Eastman reports that the University of North Carolina is opening up its early records showing that the campus employed slave labor in its construction and that many faculty and administrators were slave owners. Not really all that surprising of a thing in a slave state IMHO. He contains a link to a fuller version of the story.

Photos of Wakefield

LINK - All family historians LOVE old photos. Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Massachusetts has created an online collection depicting the town's history.

You Know You're a Stitcher When . . .

You think the X-Files is a show about cross-stitching.

Your car knows how to get to Michael's all by itself.

You hear on the news that the police confiscated a large stash from a
suspect's house and wonder when floss possession became illegal.

You know that UFO really stands for UnFinished Object and have no idea what
those NASA people are talking about.

You get party invitations with "please leave stitch projects at home"
written under the RSVP line.

Your family finds floss tails in their dinner.

You missed boarding your airplane because you had to finish off one more
section.

You realize you should have bought Rubbermaid stock.

You see a brilliant rainbow and know the DMC numbers for each colour.

You have new floss release dates written in your daytimer.

(Found on RCTN)

Congratulations Peyton Manning!

LINK - The retirement of Peyton's #16 jersey has been long overdue. It is a well-deserved honor. Wasn't it great to see Coach Cutcliffe back on the field? (Okay - it was only for Peyton's ceremony, but I'm still ticked at the way Ole Miss treated him.)

It's just a shame that we saw a repeat of a loss to Spurrier with Peyton in the stadium. Spurrier was with a different team, and we have different quarterbacks, but the outcome was the same -- a loss. WE NEED A RUNNING GAME. I think we are either going to see a complete offensive staff turnover or at least new coaches at running backs and wide receivers positions next year.

Forbes on Blogging

LINK - Forbes Magazine is getting a lot of attention in the blogosphere because of its "Attack of the Blogs" article.

LaShawn Barber offers her reaction.

Female Elk Shortage in Smokies

LINK - There's a shortage of female elks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. [Free online registration is required to view the article.]

Neat Mystery Fabric Sale

LINK - Only through November 6, Silkweavers is having a sale on fabrics. There are mystery bags available as well as other options where you select a type of fabric and they select the colors. I've always loved "grab bags" so I couldn't resist ordering the medium mystery bag. I also ordered a couple of other pieces. (via Kiwi Jo)

Theopedia

LINK - It's a wiki-based "encyclopedia of Biblical Christianity." (via It Takes a Church)

Cafe au Lait & Beignets

LINK - Cafe du Monde is open for business again. I'll have an order of Cafe au Lait and beignets please.

Top 10 Genealogy Web Sites of 2050

LINK - Thanks to Dick Eastman for the hat tip. These are hilarious!

Family Trees

Link - This article gives the term a whole new meaning.

Stand Up!

Roger Bennett encourages all Christians to stand up for what we believe! I've had some of the same thoughts. This is worth a read!

Maine Memory Network

Link - This looks like it will be an interesting project.

Imagine being able to search for, and view, documents, letters, photos and objects from over 160 historical societies, libraries and museums in Maine, all on your computer!

My Baby!

Have a Cow!

Before Katrina

This is the harbor at Pass Christian, Mississippi back in March 2005.

Long Beach, MS - First Baptist Church

Link - I've finally located more info on First Baptist of Long Beach, Mississippi. I'd visited that church earlier this year while on the coast. I knew it had been demolished from articles in the Sun Herald and from the NOAA satellite photos of Katrina damage. Florida Baptist Witness has this to say:

Disaster relief volunteers from First Baptist Church, Milton, have made almost daily trips to Mississippi since Hurricane Katrina to deliver water, food and ice, and offer clean-up assistance. They made it as far as Laurel, Miss., on the first trip and Biloxi, on the second. On Sept. 1, a group including Pastor David Spencer delivered water, ice, disinfectants, diapers and other supplies to Long Beach, a city west of Gulfport, and they have returned to Long Beach almost daily since then.

Spencer served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Long Beach, 16 years before moving to Milton in 1996. Hurricane Camille heavily damaged the church, located only a half-block off the Gulf, in 1969, and the church built a new sanctuary in 1973. Hurricane Katrina demolished all the church facilities, along with most of the city.

Spencer baptized Long Beach Mayor Billy Skellie, and Spencer made use of that connection to obtain permission to minister to the devastated community. Residents of Milton have filled the garage of Long Beach Pastor LaRue Stephens with water and supplies, and are currently working to fill a donated warehouse with everything from diapers to gasoline.

First Baptist, Milton, mostly recovered from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 but still suffering the effects of Hurricane Dennis in July, is reciprocating the kindness shone to them by the Mississippi congregation. First Baptist Church, Long Beach, brought 10 truck loads of supplies to Milton after Ivan struck there a year ago.

“They were so kind to us,” Spencer said. “They brought all kinds of supplies – fuel, food and even fresh fruit- right off the boats in Gulfport.”

Evacuating NOBTS

Link - How the last people on campus got out of New Orleans!

Katrina Response Not Slow

Link - A resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast says response was not slow. (I happen to agree.)

Ramblings on Katrina

I haven't posted much lately. I've just been too overwhelmed by what I've been viewing on the television. I was well-acquainted with the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans. It is so sad to see such utter devastation. I've seen the images on television, the NOAA satellite images of the destruction, and the photo galleries posted by all sorts of photojournalists on the Web. Many of the images leave me in tears.

Disasters such as Katrina make us realize what is important and what isn't. I am so tired of hearing the "blame game." No amount of preparation could have prepared us for the enormity of Katrina's devastation. It takes time to clear roads and get into affected areas. The response was may not have been as immediate as anyone wanted, but I don't think that the blame game helps and I'm not sure that large level response was possible sooner because of the damage to roads and logistics of moving aid workers into the areas affected.

I have admired Haley Barbour's leadership in the crisis, but I've been dismayed with that of Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco. Why was the New Orleans disaster plan not followed? Why are there enough buses left in the city of New Orleans to have transported nearly 15,000 folks out sitting there underwater? Why did they put people in the Superdome without having emergency items such as food and water there? There are lots of questions to answer. Maybe one day we'll have them. I'm not saying Nagin and Blanco are to blame, but I do want answers to some of those questions. I've not seen a satisfactory answer yet.

After waiting all week, Knoxville finally received some evacuees. One lady that I'm sure had never been outside of New Orleans in her entire life was very impressed with the beauty of the region. I'm sure we'll hear more of their stories in the days to come.

Vend-a-Book

Link - A vending machine that dispenses low-cost books to a variety of reading tastes.

Computers & Incan Archaeology

Link - A couple of Harvard researchers believe they have deciphered some Incan inscriptions using computer technology.

Gas Prices

I found Donald Trump's post about high gasoline prices an interesting read. The one thing I do know is that gas prices continue to climb, we're going to have a major economic recession.

Love These Pictures

Blue Ridge Blog is a photoblog from just across the state line in North Carolina. Marie Freeman always has great photos of Appalachia!

Non-Existence

I found out what it is like to not exist today due to being accidentally purged from the accounts at work when they were deleting student accounts. I lost all my email, my network drive space, my personal files, etc. I couldn't even log on because I didn't exist on the network. I was about to give up and go home if I didn't exist but then they started restoring me.

RIP Thomas Clark

Kentucky Historian Thomas Clark is dead at 101.

Weapons Cache Found

My nephew's unit, the 155th BCT, has located a critical weapons cache in Iraq!

Colonial Hurricanes

Most of the early European settlers knew virtually nothing about hurricanes; however, they discovered the power of these storms early. Harvard Business School has a great article about colonial hurricanes. Thanks to Everything and Nothing for the Hat Tip. The article was excerpted from "Weathering the Storms: Hurricanes and Risk in the British Greater Caribbean." Business History Review, Vol. 78, No. 4, Winter 2004.

Stupid Things Preachers Say

I visited a church this morning in the Charleston area. The preacher got off to a bad start when he was doing jokes about "tourist season" and how many tourists can folks bag and so forth. If they have that many tourists, would it not stand to reason that there would be a tourist in the crowd who would feel unwelcomed by his jokes? Well, that is exactly what happened today. He was actually a pretty good speaker, but his opening remarks made me lose any respect for him. On top of that, I felt the church cold and uninviting. Hardly a person spoke up. If the preacher makes cracks like that, maybe they just hope they'll drive the tourists away. I don't think I'd visit that church again. As I was sitting there, I recalled a visit I'd made to a Mennonite Church in the heart of Amish country in Ohio which also hosts a lot of tourists. I don't recall what the subject of the pastor's message was on that particular day, but I do remember that one of his applications was that if his church members were charging locals one price and tourists another that they were doing wrong. Somehow, I don't think this Charleston area preacher would ever preach a sermon like that. He'd probably tell them to charge tourists double so they wouldn't come back. I'm sure that the Charleston area depends on tourism for a good portion of its economy. To have a pastor speak ill of the "bread and butter" of his members is unethical in my opinion.

Charleston

I'm really enjoying my stay in Charleston. However, I have worn out my feet. Friday I walked all day in the historic section and downtown in Charleston. Yesterday (Saturday) we spent the day out at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens. Magnolia is a much more enjoyable plantation than Boone Hall which I had visited on another trip to Charleston. The seafood has been superb, but I've found something I like nearly as well as the seafood. I call them Charleston potatoes. It's really a baked potato with cheeses and other goodies similar to what you'd find in a loaded potato. We stopped at the cross stitch shop in Summerville on the way into town. It is a very nice shop, and I recommend it although there are some booths in the city market that have some cross stitch, you can't beat the stores that offer varieties in fibers and a full range of cross-stitching goodies.

NGS

National Genealogical Society's Conference in the States was held last week in Nashville. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the entire conference. A couple of friends shared my room at the conference hotel. This year's conference surpassed the last NGS I attended in a number of regards. The hotel was more convenient; the food options in the area were more plentiful; and the planning by local personnel was superb. Next year's conference is in Chicago!

NGS

National Genealogical Society's Conference in the States is coming up next week in Nashville! The speakers are always great and so are the exhibits.

Alphabet Meme

This has been going around so I thought I'd try it. You are supposed to type each letter of the alphabet in your browser and list this first site that comes up.

A - Ancestry.com
B - Bloglines.com
C - Clarion Ledger
D - Daily Journal
E - Enterprise Journal
F - Frisco Papers
G - Gmail
H - Hotmail
I - Internet Movie Database
J - John Howell's Genealogue
K - Knoxpets.org
L - L. L. Bean
M - Mississippi History & Genealogy Notes
N - Natchez Democrat
O - Oxford Eagle
P - Press Register
Q - http://quake.ualr.edu/public/nmfz.htm
R - Roger Bennett's Midnight Meditations
S - State Department
T - Tunica Times
U - USGenWeb
V - Vicksburg Post
W - WTVA
X - no hits
Y - Yahoo!
Z - http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1377

KnitPro

No - I haven't taken up knitting, but KnitPro software does much more than knitting. Apparently you can take any photo and convert it to a knitting, crochet, needlepoint, or cross stitch photo. Thanks to Lifehacker for the tip.

Stitcher's Question of the Week

Via Stitched with Love and Cat Hair: Given the option, would you rather buy a chart and get the material and floss together yourself, or buy a pre-packed kit?

DEFINITELY buy my own floss. The stuff they put in the kits is trash! Besides I love to make substitutions (especially on kitties so that they look like my "owner").

Tenure

Inside Higher Education takes a look at the high level of stress created by the tenure process. It examines off-the-wall behavior exhibited by some who are denied tenure. I'm happy to report that I gained tenure this year (so I didn't have to resort to such drastic measures). I certainly made certain that I had my ducks in a row before I reached my tenure year. When I had submitted my letter and notebook with all my supporting materials, I knew that the process was out of my hands. As a Christian, I left it in God's hands. If it was His will, I knew it would happen. I also knew that if I was not granted tenure that there were other options available for pursuit. I think that's a healthy attitude toward the process.

VolPols

Bill Hobbs has set up VolPols.com to encourage Tennessee's legislators to blog. Thanks to Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit for the hat tip.

Teachers Are Not Underpaid

Coyote Blog looks at the myth that teachers are underpaid and produces evidence that shows that teachers may actually be some of the more highly compensated professionals, especially when you take benefits and time off into consideration.

I know that I often hear colleagues of mine in the library profession complaining about our salaries. This study does show that teachers are compensated more than librarians; however, I suspect that the library compensation figures are significantly lowered because of small to medium-sized public libraries. I've actually seen some comments on listservs lately ridiculing low salaries offered for some positions. Some of the comments do have validity. For example, a position requiring a lot of education and experience which pays poorly is going to have a high rate of turnover. However, some of them fail to take other factors into consideration. I believe that most school librarians are compensated similarly to teachers. I believe some academic libraries may fail to compensate librarians for the difference in a 12-month vs. 9-month appointment which is typical for teaching faculty; however, there are some academic libraries which also have librarians on 9-month contracts with reasonably comparable pay scales.

Sure - we'd all like a little extra cash! Part of that is the consumer-based nature of our culture. Part of that is driven by rising prices of gasoline and other goods (which are transported by vehicles requiring gasoline). Most people who have not gotten themselves in debt up to their eyebrows can actually get by on a little less by making small adjustments which may actually increase the quality of their lives by allowing more time with families and friends. People can have fun without spending a lot of money. I know we did that when I was a kid. It could be done today as well.

Sympathy

I have great sympathy for Renee at "Stitched with Love and Cat Hair" who had to frog 2 hours of cross-stitching. I've had to do that before, and it is not one bit fun. By the way, don't you love the name of her blog? That would definitely be an appropriate phrase to use for my cross-stitch pieces as well.

Proffitts and McRaes Sold to Belk

I'm really very disappointed with the sell of Proffitt's and McRae's to Belk. We have both a Proffitt's and a Belk in the mall here. I can never find anything in Belk, but Proffitts often has clothes that are nice. McRae's is the big department store back in Mississippi where most of my family still lives. I could find clothes there as well. I have to say that I'm concerned that I won't be able to find things I'll wear with the new merger if they use the Belk buyers for all the stores. The only other department store chain in the area is Dillard's, and their merchandise has been less to my taste in recent months. I guess I'll be doing a lot of shopping online or on business trips and personal vacations if Belk doesn't improve their purchases. South Knox Bubba has a roundup of the news stories.

Baked Blue Cheese Halibut

Chef Shane offers a fish dish that sounds tasty.

Time Magazine Fiasco

Big Picture has an interesting post comparing Time's distorted Ann Coulter cover photo to the New Coke marketing disaster. (via BusinessPundit) I'm not sure whether or not he has a point; however, I do know that this is not the first time Time has used digital manipulation to sway the public's opinion. There is a well-documented instance from the O. J. Simpson trial days where Time and Newsweek both used the same stock photo for their cover. The two magazines were sitting side by side on newstands across America. Newsweek printed the photo "as is." Time manipulated the photo to make O. J. seem dark and sinister. If nothing else, Time reminded Americans everywhere how easy it is to alter photographs to serve one's purpose. It's difficult to separate fact from fiction when the sources that report it manipulate photos and stories for self-serving purposes. This is one of the main reasons Americans trust MSM less and less. I just wish I had a subscription to Time to cancel.

Dogwood Winter

Brrrrrrr . . . The dogwoods have been absolutely gorgeous this year in East Tennessee. We got our "cold snap" this past weekend that corresponds to dogwood season. Although the weather had been cool all day Saturday, I was very surprised to wake up to "white" outside. The meteorologists had only predicted snow for elevations over 3000 feet. I have news for them. It snowed at lower elevations too! We used to tease a meteorologist in our Sunday School class. We'd tell him that we all wanted a job like his -- where you could be wrong all the time and still have a job.

Little House

One of my favorites series of children's books is the Little House series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Cheri Pearson Yecke offers some observations on the books, the television series, and what it all teaches.

Luther G. Presley's Songs

In an article talking about the donation of historical materials a descendant of the famed Luther G. Presley left the University of Central Arkansas' Archives, there is a brief mention that Gospel songwriter Luther G. Presley's song collection will also be donated to the university's archives.

New Crops

I'm so excited to see a tobacco farmer changing crops.

New Pope

I really like what Bill Hobbs has to say!

Praise for Librarians

George Morgan, well-known genealogical columnist, has written an article which should encourage every librarian.

Bush to Visit the Smokies

Pres. Bush will be in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for Earth Day!

Tax Freedom Day Graph

This is a very telling graph. Notice how the Clinton years were very taxing!

Prison book writer accused of strangling librarian in crime spree

That headline is enough to make any librarian take a second look.

Annotated New York Times

This is totally cool!

Passenger Lists

Mystic Seaport offers ship and yacht passenger lists.

George Younce

I've learned that George Younce, beloved bass singer for the Cathedral Quartet for many many years, died this morning around 3:30. I don't think there are enough words to express George's greatness. He was a class act! He served as a mentor for so many others in the industry. Although he's been ill for a number of years, he remained upbeat and continued encouraging many others who were also going through difficult times. Our prayers are with his wife, children, and their families! He's joined that "Heavenly Choir."

Update: Roger Bennett has a great tribute to George posted!

James Madison Papers

Library of Congress has released the

Royal Connections Link Camilla Parker Bowles to New England

Those with New England heritage may view this weekend's marriage of Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles with greater interest knowing they may have a kinship connection to the bride. Through work conducted by Gary Boyd Roberts, senior research scholar at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), "a sizable number of New England-derived Americans, including no doubt numerous NEHGS members, will find themselves distantly related to the Duchess of Cornwall."

This week at NotableKin.org, Gary Boyd Roberts writes about "Genealogical Aspects of the Forthcoming Royal Wedding" in which he connects Camilla Parker Bowles to Henry David Thoreau through the New England couple Elisha Jones and Mary Allen. Bowles (née Shand) is a sixth great-granddaughter of the Jones/Allen union. Henry David Thoreau is a great-grandson of the couple.

An attractive pedigree chart, created by Don Stone at LineageCharts.com <http://www.lineagecharts.com/>, accompanies the article, providing an overview of the ancestry that connects the bride of Prince Charles to New England and French Canada. Roberts notes that "Mrs. Parker Bowles has considerable French Canadian ancestry through ... Charlotte [Coursolles]; there is also a line to a very few Pennsylvania residents."

Other relationships covered in the article include Camilla Parker Shand's genealogical link to the late Princess Diana and another rather distant connection to Prince Charles via the 2nd Duke of Newcastle, among others.

Visit www.notablekin.org to download the pedigree chart and read the complete article. For those more interested in famous musicians than in royalty, NotableKin.org has also recently been updated to include four new articles culled from the NEHGS website, NewEnglandAncestors.org. These articles feature notable musicians such as the Beach Boys and Janis Joplin.

Media contact only:
Laura G. Prescott
NEHGS Director of Marketing
617-226-1252
lprescott@nehgs.org

Virtual Cemetery Visits

Somehow, I don't think this can compare with cemetery-hopping!

Teaching State History

This morning I heard on the radio (or television) a discussion regarding the teaching of state history in Tennessee. Apparently Tennessee History is no longer a requirement. They are leaving it to teachers to weave it in sporadically where appropriate. I find it totally unacceptable that students are not required to study Tennessee's history in an organized fashion. Hit or miss just doesn't get it! State and local history is a must! We can't allow kids to grow up in a vacuum, unaware of the rich heritage in their immediate area. Students need to know what contributed to things, and the only way that can be done is to have a course that presents the material in a systematic fashion.

Papal Thoughts

The end seems to be nearing for Pope John Paul II. I am not a Catholic, but Pope John Paul II has certainly changed the face of Catholicism. I think history will say that he is one of the more influential popes when all is said and done. Word is that his last rites ritual has or will shortly be performed.

American InJustice

My heart goes out to the parents of Terri Schiavo, whose daughter was murdered by the American Judicial system. Depriving a human of food and water is totally inhumane. Some would call it "cruel and unusual punishment." I believe there was evidence of brain activity from the photos I've seen. May God forgive us!

Pajama-Clad Students

I'm more and more disturbed by the increasing number of students I see coming to the library in their pajamas. Have we no dress code? If they came into my classroom in their PJs, I'd send them back to get dressed. I find it appalling that students are taking fashion pointers from Michael Jackson.

Kissing Cousins

All of us who have done a bit of research have come across instances of first cousins marrying one another. I've run across it once in a direct line and multiple times in collateral lines in my own family history. Here's a modern-day instance (and it's a mid-Atlantic state). (via Res Ipsa Loquitur)

Cannon Ball Removed from Plantation Home

The cannon ball was found in McLeod Plantation's main house in the attic. When the owners found their child playing with it, they decided to have authorities remove the ball. It will probably be returned after it has been deactivated.

Crafts Making a Comeback

As a crossstitcher, I love the increased participation in all forms of needlework! However, I will have to admit that as a faculty member of a college, I've noticed a rise in knitting and crocheting among some of the girls on campus.

Genealogy of Jesus

Tony Burroughs, a noted African-American genealogist, will be featured on Discovery Channel on March 27. I'm always a little worried whenever TV picks up anything pertaining to Christianity, so I'll reserve comment (and hopefully remember to watch the program).

Libraries in Cemeteries

Top 10 Reasons for Building a Library in a Cemetery. (via GenealogyBlog)

Terri Schiavo

I think it is absolutely criminal that she is being deprived of a "feeding tube." I read a blog yesterday (I can't remember which one) where the author reminded us that it might have been her husband's actions which resulted in her present state. I think those responsible for removing the feeding tube (husband, judge, etc.) should be held accountable for her murder. They will be at judgement day if not before then.

Amish Apple Dumplings

Chef Shane has a recipe that might be worthy of my Amish ancestry . . . Amish Apple Dumplings. I might have to try this some time.

Solution

Big Orange Michael offers gas stations a solution! I hope they listen!

Update: Expect higher prices, experts say.

I was just curious how many gallons are in a barrel to see if the price increases are actually justified. MSN Money reports:

A barrel of oil is 42 gallons, so every dollar increase in the cost of
crude pushes up pump prices by 2.4 cents.

Back

Spring break was in winter this year, and I wish it had been a little warmer. Now that I'm back, we've had snow two mornings (not much - and it melted quickly). It's too chilly for this time of the year (although I really don't mind cold weather). However, if it's going to be cold, I want a foot of snow.

I've been busy this week, so I haven't had time to blog here. I hope to be able to blog a bit more in the coming days.

Blogging Break

I'll be taking about a 10-12 day break from blogging. Sorry that I didn't line up a guest blogger!

Snow

ScrappleFace has an interesting take on the northeast snowstorm.

Where Ya Been, Where Ya Going?

I got this meme from Everything and But Nothing:

Bold the states you’ve been to, underline the states you’ve lived in and italicize the state you’re in now

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C. /

Eastman's Encyclopedia of Genealogy

Dick Eastman reports that his new online wiki-style Encyclopedia of Genealogy is off to a good start.

Christian Carnival

. . . is up at Wallo World.

History Carnival #3

. . . is up at Detrimental Postulation.

Carnival of the Recipes #28

. . . is up at Rocket Jones.

Reading & Digesting Books

George Ambler at Leading Forward gives some pointers on getting the most out of your reading. I'm sure that Michael Gorman thinks this approach is too simplistic if only because it was written by one of those "blog people."

Michael Gorman on Blogs

Michael Gorman, president of ALA, does not think much of bloggers. In a Library Journal article entitled "Revenge of the Blog People," he implies that bloggers are of inferior intellect. As a librarian and a blogger, I knew this was begging for comment when I first read it; however, I didn't want my response to be reactionary so I decided to reflect on the article for a time. My impressions have not changed. Gorman "doesn't get blogging." I don't want to reiterate things other bloggers have said about Gorman's post. There's a good roundup at Instapundit. I heard Gorman speak at a conference a few years ago. He was one of two keynote speakers. Gorman tends to be one of those persons who tries to impress people by his command of the vocabulary of the English language. Persons who try to show off their vocabulary have never impressed me. I've always been more impressed by those who could have used those very large vocabularies, but chose instead, to use the simple words and sentences to relate their ideas. I honestly cannot give very many of the details of Gorman's speech at the conference (although I have notes in my office); however, I can tell you that I remember much of what the other speaker at the conference related to us. The one thing I do remember is that Gorman was so controversial in his comments at that time that some of those in attendance met over meals to discuss what was wrong with Gorman's talk. It makes me wonder if he enjoys stirring controversy. Like some of the other librarians linked at Instapundit, I have not joined ALA. I simply cannot support an organization which lobbies for causes with which I strongly disagree. I am a conservative and a Christian, and ALA is anything but those. I am a member of the Association of Christian Librarians, a group primarily composed of college and university librarians.

Mississippi's State Parks Get Funds

It's sad to think that legislators even considered closing them. I have memories of camping at many of Mississippi's State parks through the years. Those weekends or weeks were nice get-aways.

Distinguished Faculty

A letter to the editor in the Ole Miss newspaper by a non-tenure track faculty member questions the practice of limiting such awards to only tenured faculty. It's interesting. Some will interpret it as "sour grapes." Others will agree with her premise.

Stitching QOTW

This week's questions and my responses are:

Do you participate in round robins? NO
If so, how many have you participated in? N/A
Do you participate in more than one at a time? N/A
Summarize your experiences (good and/or bad). N/A
If not, have you thought about it? Not really. I don't really know enough about the concept, and I am rather picky about what I stitch.

School Librarians

In a day and age where many school librarians are being cut from staffs due to budget constraints, it's nice to see Mississippi reaffirming the value of these professionals.

I love this!

A new photographer!

State Fish

I heard on the radio this morning that Tennessee is considering changing its state fish from the large-mouth bass to the small-mouth bass. Why not just make it the bass? That way when they decide to make it some other species of the same fish, it's already covered?

1805 Georgia Land Lottery

Dick Eastman has a great post on this rich Georgia resource. Those of us who had ancestors in Georgia at that time have used this resource (or should have).

Stitching Bloggers QOTW

Stitched with Love and Cat Hair asks: What is your favorite fabric to stitch on?

My reply: 14 ct. Aida. I guess it's my old favorite.

Carnival of New Blogs

Blogs must be less than 3 months old to be featured. The First New Blog Carnival Showcase Extravaganza is up at Simon World.

New Education Carnival

The first Carnival of Education is up at The Education Wonks.

Heritage Foundation Library

When I went to the National Genealogical Society's conference in Pittsburgh, I had the opportunity to meet a couple of people connected with Heritage Foundation Library in Hilton Head, South Carolina. There's a nice article about their library LowCountryNOW.

Valentine's Poem

A food-related poem at Chef Shane's blog for Valentine's Day.

Yummy Looking Dessert

Paula Deen had a great looking dessert this morning on Food Network. It was called Chocolate Bundles with Chocolate Ganache.

Lincoln Blogging

PowerLine has a nice tribute to Abraham Lincoln on the anniversary of his birthday.

Easongate

As someone who rarely watches CNN, Easongate had little meaning for me. InstaPundit has done quite a bit of blogging on the downfall of Eason Jordan. He has now resigned. This case fell on the heels of Rathergate which led to the retirement of the veteran CBS anchor. Today's Scrappleface is great though!

Carnival of the Recipes #26

. . . is up at Anywhere But Here.

Buried at Wal-Mart

I've heard the joke about the husband who wants to be buried at Wal-Mart so his wife will come to visit, but this is a case of being buried UNDER Wal-Mart.

Genealogy Cruise

Why are these cruises always held during the academic year?

Senior Projects

Dave Shearon has a good post up about senior projects. He says some parents don't want their children to have to do them. As a college professor, I'm all in favor of them. Too many students come to college unprepared to do college work. Doing this kind of project in high school is good preparation for college. I'm also in favor of having them read!

Deep Throat

If Kevin McCarthy is right, Deep Throat achieved great heights post-Watergate.

Carnival of the Capitalists 2-7-05

Catallarchy is this week's host.

Check Your Sources, Prof!

A professor who needs to check his sources.

Update: Ahhh - I knew I recognized his name. He's the Colorado dude who made those controversial remarks. Glenn Reynolds offers some comments and links.

New Toy

I'm excited. My new Nikon Coolpix 5200 Camera is on its way. I can't wait to try it out!

Unusual Cake

This has got to be the most unusual cake I've ever seen. (via Boing Boing)

Southern Cooking

There's a new Southern recipe blog called Collard Patch. Thanks to Boing Boing for the tip.

Copyright Gone Awry

. . . in Chicago's Millennium Park.

Ossabaw Island Slaves

There's a big archaeology dig on Ossabaw Island now to explore some of the remains of slave culture there. Ossabaw is near Savannah, Georgia.

History Academies

Glad to see that Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) were instrumental in getting a piece of legislation for history academies established. Does anyone besides me find it shocking that Harvard and Princeton don't require a course in American history for graduation?

Carnival of the Recipes #25

. . . is up at The Glittering Eye. The Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake over at Not Exactly Rocket Science looks good.

History Carnival #2

. . . is up at History News Network.

Greed

It's pretty bad when they want such astronomical royalties for model ships and planes.

Copyright and Electronic Memories

A marine reservist has died in Iraq. He maintained a Web site with his memories while over there. Now his parents are trying to be able to gain access to them because they are precious to them. The company which hosted their son's web site says that guarding the privacy of their customers prevents them from giving the parents access. The parents argue it is part of the estate.

What does this have to do with genealogy? LOTS! Think of all the genealogists out there who post scrapbooks of their memories online. What happens to those when they die? A legal decision on the above case could prevent the next of kin from gaining access to those "precious memories." Let's hope not.

I can only hope that the courts side with the parents!

Women in Entrepreneurship

Jeff Cornwall discusses why more and more women are joining the ranks of entrepreneurs. Thanks to Ashish's Niti who wrote this week's Carnival of the Capitalists for the link.

Bloglines

I think I've finally found an RSS reader that I like. I had tried one which was a bit awkward and made reading blogs less enjoyable. I've added some of my favorite blogs to the reader at Bloglines and find that it is just like reading a blog. I love it!

Good Post from Glenn

Wow - I apologize for so long between posts; I've been blogging on my other blogs and neglecting this one I guess.

Glenn Reynolds has a great article on Slate this week. He talks about Clinton's victory in Iraq. It's so much fun to look at "that was then, this is now" scenarios and see all the flip-flops! By the way, you might also check out Glenn at Instapundit.

Historical Blogging

Thomas Paine, Martin Luther, George Orwell . . . Full article here.

Blast Blogging

Bill Hobbs is doing it!

I'm Craving Skyline Chili

Bamablog included a recipe for Cincinnati chili on her blog. (No permalink so just scroll to January 25.) It's making me crave some Skyline!

$760/hour for Eating Donuts

I want this job. LOL Actually, I'll just take the check and the donuts. Forget the rest of the job!

Researching Online Gets Better

Thanks to efforts such as these, family historians have better access than ever to historical information.

Cow-Blogging

Blue Ridge Blog did some cow-blogging.

Carnival of the Recipes #23

It's posted at Not Exactly Rocket Science.

Christian Illiteracy

I find the quote below somewhat scary:

But, according to a 1997 poll, only one out of three U.S. citizens is able
to name the most basic of Christian texts, the four Gospels, and 12% think
Noah's wife was Joan of Arc. That paints a picture of a nation that believes God
speaks in Scripture but that can't be bothered to read what he has to say.

Full article here.

In the days following 9/11, it seemed as if there was a "great awakening." Of course, this poll was taken several years before 9/11/01. It would be interesting to see if there has been a change since then, but I fear not.

Rating Super Bowl Ads

Hey - looks like there's going to be some blogging done during the Super Bowl - and the discussion won't just be football.

Flash Movie Military Tribute

One of my colleagues sent a link to this great tribute to our military heroes. [Requires flash and works better with sound on.]

Tennessee Theatre Photos

South Knox Bubba has some great photos of the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville which has just reopened after major renovations. Be sure to visit his gallery.

Blogging Convention

It's in Nashville at Belmont University in May.

Carnival of the Recipes #22

This week's installment is up at One Happy Dog Speaks.

Fornication Laws

Instapundit has some comments about the State of Virginia's overturning a 19th century law which made it illegal for persons to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage. He applauds its being overturned saying it's "about time." I don't think it really matters whether or not it is on the law books of the State of Virginia because it is against God's laws.

Fried Twinkies?

Interesting sounding recipe over at BamaBlog (see Jan. 12).

My Ancestors' Diet

This is the diet that my ancestors must have followed.

Iceberg Collision

Neat photo of a coming event.

News with No Anchors?

Roger Simon thinks so.

Hobbs on TennCare

Bill Hobbs has a great short commentary on the scaling down of TennCare.

Also see Nashville Files Blog.

Reality TV News

I'll have to admit that this sounds more entertaining than most of the Reality TV shows currently out there.

Online Sales Set Record in 2004

More people (like Glenn) are staying in their homes to do their shopping, and as a result, online sales set a record in 2004.

Book Banning Followup

The library board reversed the decision because of national criticism of its banning of the book America (The Book). I think this whole process was probably handled incorrectly if the board didn't have its say in the first place. They really need to get a collection development policy in place that addresses what is and what is not acceptable. If the book was not going to have been circulated, it should have been sent back to the publisher and never made to appear in the library's online catalog. I don't have a problem with the library choosing not to add the book because of content, but to add it and remove it without a formal challenge is problem not in the library's best interest.

Geography Quizzes

These are fun and educational. Thanks to Coyote Blog for pointing them out.

Two in a Row

Peyton has won the NFL MVP award two years in a row. It's much-deserved!

Related: Love the headline from Sunday's game coverage.

Tennessee Theatre to Re-Open

Knoxville's historic Tennessee Theatre will re-open after undergoing renovations. The previews of the new interior look great!

Rathergate Fallout

Rathergate has cost 4 CBS personnel their jobs. Dan Rather has already announced his retirement plans and received no further penalties for his role. See the full report.

Blogger Reaction: Hugh Hewitt calls it "whitewash."
Powerline has a great summary and analysis.
Instapundit offers lots of blogger reaction links.

TennCare Gets Reductions

TennCare has been ailing for a long time. It's a program that needs to go. Gov. Bredesen has reached somewhat of a compromise by keeping the children covered by TennCare and cutting the adults who are covered by Medicaid.

Censorship or Selection

Apparently the Jackson-George Regional Library is taking some flack for its decision not to purchase the book America (The Book) by Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show. Critics always seem to call it "censorship" even if it is matter of selection. Libraries don't have the funds to purchase every book that patrons want. Their decision not to purchase the book is probably a wise stewardship of funds. They probably know their own patrons well and know that many of them would find the mentioned photo, particularly in its satirical setting highly offensive. The library would have met opposition either way. Those who want the book can always purchase the book or request it through interlibrary loan. It is a little harder to deal with it once it is in the collection (not to mention all the staff time and processing costs it would take to add and then deselect it from the collection following what was sure to be a challenge).

Update: I didn't read the article as closely as I should have. I guess they already had a copy. Still, if the library has received "challenges" because of its content, they have the right (acting under the direction of the library board) to deselect it from their collection. The article doesn't give enough background to know whether or not it was challenged by a member of the public who noticed it or a staff member, but I'm guessing that if it made it through processing and into the catalog that a member of the public challenged it.

Mona Lisa Deterioration Mystery Solved

An engineering student has discovered why the Mona Lisa keeps cracking.

I'm Honored

Your Famous Blogger Twin is InstaPundit

Smart, well-informed, a true polymath Don't be surprised if your blogging brings you fame as well!

Who's Your Famous Blogger Twin?

Who would have thought I'd get one of my favorite bloggers as my twin?

Phyllis Harper 1/9/05

I always loved Phyllis Harper's columns. She took a three month break, but I'm glad she's begun writing her column again. This week's is about language.

Stitchers' Question of the Week

Okay - so it may not be quite weekly, but the Stitchers Question of the Week has returned over at Stitched with Love and Cat Hair by Renee. This week's question is: After you stitch a pattern or kit, what do you do with it? I keep the pattern and file it. I have loaned a few out, but I tend to keep the patterns.

Elvis-Blogging

Powerline appears to be Elvis-Blogging today.

More Attacks on Christians

Joe Gandelman is guest blogging at Dean's World and reports that an atheist is challenging Bush's placing a hand on a Bible at his "swearing in" ceremony.

It looks like Christians may well be in for an age of persecution the way things seem to be headed lately, but history shows that the church has enjoyed enormous growth during such times of persecution.

Carnival of the Recipes #21 is Up

PhysicsGeek is hosting this week's carnival.

Next Time . . . Get Someone Who Can Sing

James Calhoun believes Ashlee Simpson may be tone deaf. I didn't listen long enough to determine it because when I heard that awful noise coming from the set at half-time, I hit the "mute" key. Perhaps they ought to look to the country music scene for their next half-time show, or better yet, let the university bands play!

Interesting Stats

Here are some interesting statistics on the number of Democrats vs. Republicans in Congress.

New Maps Being Drawn Because of Tsunami

Cartographers are working on new maps because of the disastrous tsunami.

Related link: "The Maps Have Been Washed Away"

Election Certification Debate

Powerline has a great post about the Democrats' calling the Ohio votes into question. I watched part of their nonsense today on CSPAN. I'm not sure what their motivation for doing it was. It will only backfire on them. It really was a waste of time.

Historic Knox Structures to Be Spared

After one historic structure was recently demolished in the city of Knoxville, some old farm buildings in the county will be spared during an expansion of the sewage plant. [Free registration required.]

Treaty Oak

This historic tree marked the site of an Indian cession in middle Tennessee until it was cut into souvenirs.

1951 Nashville Blizzard

Nice article about this big snow and ice event.

Is "Confederate" a Taboo Word?

Vanderbilt University is in the midst of a battle over a building with the word Confederate in its name.

Diet Success?

A program where MORE than 10,000 persons lost NEARLY 20,000 pounds in 3 YEARS is being called a success. That's LESS THAN 2 POUNDS apiece in 3 YEARS. I don't know about you, but unless I already had a figure like Barbie, I wouldn't call that a success.

RELATED: The fittest (and fattest) cities. [Free registration required.]

Map Coloring

Okay - maybe only 4 colors are essential, but some of us would rather have a more colorful map!

Tennessee Gets Bad Grades for English and Math

Tennessee's schools got a report card, and it wasn't a good one! Of course, this doesn't really surprise some of us who are teaching college. I know I can really tell that students are lagging. You can read the full reports on English and math.

Eating Ice

I found this interesting article about eating ice via this weeks Grand Rounds.

Free Utilities Software

There's a great list of free software utilities at the Tech Support Alert. I found it via BamaBlog.com.

Carnival of the Cats #41

The new installment of Carnival of the Cats is up at MartiniPundit.

Blogging on the Rise

An AP article reports that blog creation and readership are on the rise.

More here.

Homemade Marshmallows

This recipe sounds really good. I think I'll make a batch to go with some hot chocolate sometime.

Happy New Year

I found this meme over at A Hazy Shade of Winter. I started tracing where it came from but decided to leave that to anyone who really wants to follow all the links.

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before? Visited St. Augustine, Florida. I'd been to other places like Orlando, Tampa, Homestead, the Keys, Panama City, etc. but never to the oldest city! I'm sure there are lots of other things, but that's the first one that came to mind.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I don't bother to make a list that won't be kept anyway.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My niece had a daughter and my nephew's wife had twin daughters.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, although not immediate family.

5. What countries did you visit? Just the good old USA.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004? A house of my own.

7. What dates from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Election night - I was very relieved when I saw that Bush could win with Ohio. I had checked online and knew from when I had lived there that the precincts that weren't reporting were Republican strongholds so I knew Bush would win and that I could go to bed and sleep peacefully. (I should have called some of my friends so they could have done the same.)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I'm not sure.

9. What was your biggest failure? Again I'm not sure. It's just too early to look back and really assess things like this.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? The usual sinus stuff and headaches.

11. What was the best thing you bought? A digital piano for myself my cat. He lets me play it to entertain him.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Those responding to the hurricanes in Florida and the tsunami in Asia.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Easy one--Michael Moore.

14. Where did most of your money go? To pay the bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? The election outcome.

16. What song will always remind you of 2004? I liked Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? sadder

b) thinner or fatter? thinner

c) richer or poorer? about the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? cross stitching

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? working (Don't we all wish we had more free time?)

20. How did you be spend Christmas? with my parents

21. Did you fall in love in 2004? no

22. How many one-night stands? none

23. What was your favorite TV program? Emeril Live

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? no

25. What was the best book you read? The Bible - but I'll also mention Shem Creek by Dorothea Benton Frank. I liked it so well that I bought the previous novels she had written. I didn't like them quite as much as Shem Creek but they were good. Maybe a little more graphic than I like in places though.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Not sure there was a big one. Maybe the great price on the digital piano. I just can't think of an artist that I discovered for the first time that I thought was great.

27. What did you want and get? affection from my cat

28. What did you want and not get? affection from my cat (Cat lovers will understand why this was in both places.)

29. What was your favorite film of this year? My cat says to put Garfield the Movie. I don't think it's my favorite, but I'm not a big movie goer, and I did buy that one because I love Garfield. I tend to watch older movies. The more recent ones are too graphic for me usually. Was The Passion of the Christ this year or last? It was good.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I have no idea, and it's impolite to ask a woman her age.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I can't answer this one without discussing personalities so I'll not answer it.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004? My usual is to find great priced separates of good quality.

33. What kept you sane? Church.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I'm not big on celebrities but it would probably be one of the chefs on the Food Network.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Rathergate.

36. Who did you miss? Ronald Reagan (after he died).

37. Who was the best new person you met? In the interest of omitting someone, I'll skip this one.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004. I need to think on this one. I'm not a person who can answer a question like this without a lot of reflection.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "Here in the real world, it's not that easy at all."